Secret's Revealed
by Black Raider
Summary: Sequel to "Siren's Gem" When they are sent to the world of humans, Siren and her friends must discover a way home while also avoiding a crazy sorceress that wants to control both worlds. More and more will be revealed, but can any of them handle it?
1. Ch 1 Shapes in the Smoke

**Chapter One- Shapes in the Smoke**

He stood over his scrying bowl, watching as his granddaughter talked with an elderly red panda. The small animal was talking and looked scared out of his wits, clutching the tall staff in his small hand. He watched as his granddaughter bowed to the red panda and the small mammal ran off at lightning speed. The image disappeared.

The man stood straight, the bottom of his long navy blue robes swishing about the floor. He readjusted his gold rope belt and ran a hand through his blond hair. He still looked so young, despite his true age. He liked it that way. He couldn't live with himself if he looked like the elderly men he'd see around town.

There was a rapping on the door.

"It's Anuli!" a girl's voice called.

"I'll be there in a minute!" the man returned. He shed his robes and belt to reveal a pair of dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a black vest to match his pants. He exited his room of magic to his penthouse room and made his way to the door. He opened it and found a young woman, an African American, standing before him. Then again, she would probably be called an African Chinese, considering they both lived in Beijing. The girl wore a long, flowing red skirt and a red T-shirt to match. The beanie hat on her head was the same color. Her hair was in dozens of cornrow braids.

"I found something I think you might like." Anuli said. She held out a fistful of black feathers.

"Perfect!" the man exclaimed, taking the feathers excitedly.

"It helps when you have a grandma that lives in the forest." Anuli laughed. "I hope it helps."

"You are a wonderful girl." The man bowed graciously. "How can I thank you?"

"You already have." Anuli laughed again. "Don't worry about it."

The man smiled. "Here, take this." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the black girl.

Anuli went wide eyed when she saw its contents. "It's coming to Beijing?"

"Not until July." The man said. "But I figured you should prepare."

"Thank you Dong." Anuli bowed. "See you around!" She ran off down the hall, her braids flying behind her. Dong smiled and stepped back inside. He pulled out a ceramic bowl and a box of matches from the kitchen. He examined each of the feathers before choosing the right ones and placing them in the bowl. Then, he set fire to them, murmuring to himself. An unusual amount of smoke rose from the bowl and formed shapes in the air.

First, they looked like two human girls, dancing with each other. Then, the humans morphed and changed. One sprouted wings from her back and talons grew from her nails; feathers grew all over her body at a rapid pace and her mouth and nose fused together to form a beak. The other human sprouted a tail and her ears migrated up to the crown of her head and turned pointy. All the hair on her body grew longer, small claws grew from her fingernails, and her teeth went pointed. When the transformation was done, the dancing humans had turned into a fox and a raven.

Dong smiled as the smoke disappeared. "I must call for the housekeeper; everything must be neat and clean when my little Siren and her mother return."

A/N: Anuli is African for "daughter who brings happiness". Read and review!


	2. Ch 2 Unwelcomed Return

**Chapter Two- Unwelcomed Return**

_His hands were chained behind his back, ankles in shackles and the chain connected to the wall, arms pinned to his sides by another set of chains. The chains were so tight he had a hard time breathing properly. Why was he breathing so hard anyway? Why was he in so much pain? What had happened?_

_Shifu tried to move, but his unusual exhaustion kept him from doing so. He looked around, trying to gather what his surroundings were: he was in a stone cell, with a single barred window and another set of chains on the wall opposite of him. He shuddered when he saw a skeleton still attached to the chains. _

_Shouts drew Shifu's attention to the window. The sky, or what was supposed to be the sky, was red and black as smoke rose into the air. He realized with horror that many of those shouts belonged to his students. He desperately searched for a way out, but his panic level rose when he heard the shouts cease. He looked back at the window, staining his ears for a sound, but all he heard was a cruel laugh._

_His head whipped around to the door as it creaked open. Two shadows entered the room. He couldn't even tell what they were, not even when they came so close he could feel their hot breath on his face. The shackles on his ankles were removed. When he tried to escape, he found he still had no energy for it. The shadows took a hold of him and half-lead, half-dragged him down a narrow hallway. Shadows seemed to dance across the dark hall. It had been a very long time since Shifu was genuinely scared, and now, now he was terrified. The shadows shoved him through a door at the end of the hallway. They slammed the door shut, and Shifu was left alone. The room consisted only of a rack of sharp weapons and a stone altar._

"_Welcome, Grandmaster." _

_Shifu jumped. He turned around in a few circles, but he saw no one. He tried futilely to pull himself free, but the chains were tight. _

"_My apologies." The voice said. "Let me help you." Whoever they were snapped their fingers, and the chains fell to the floor. Shifu stood in a strong fighting stance, preparing for whatever came at him. But he felt his arms and legs shaking as he struggled to remain standing._

_The voice laughed. "I'll admit you're quite the fighter. It took a lot to take you down. It's a shame your students weren't the same."_

"_Where are they?" Shifu demanded. He was surprised to hear his voice so hoarse, like he had been yelling….or choked recently._

_The voice only laughed again. "You fool. You came here to protect them, yet all you did was lead them to their death."_

"_No….." Shifu whispered. He shook his head. "This isn't real. This is a dream."_

"_A dream?" the voice asked. "Then this shouldn't hurt at all." _

_Suddenly, a force slammed into Shifu and sent him flying into the stone wall. A hand clutched his throat, keeping him suspended above the floor. Shifu tried to pull away, clawing at the figure's shadowing hand. _This is a dream_. He thought. _It has to be. So why does it hurt?

"_Does it hurt, Shifu?" the figure chuckled darkly. "Does it hurt? Tell me now!" Shifu only glared, bravely keeping his mouth shut. The figure's grip tightened. "Why don't you just scream?" The figure threw Shifu aside. The grandmaster hit the stone altar hard and slumped to the floor. He felt scared; more scared than he had ever been in his life. In desperation, he made a break for the door. He gave a strangled shout as he was yanked back by a chain looped around his neck. He felt the metal links constrict his throat tighter and tighter. He gasped and gagged. _It's a dream, it's a dream. _He kept repeated. No, it can't be a dream. It hurts. Dreams aren't supposed to hurt you!_

_The figure yanked the chain back like a whip, sending Shifu to the floor. He gasped and coughed as air returned to his lungs. A foot connected with his side as the figure kicked him to the steps leading to the altar. The figure stomped hard on the weaker opponent's chest. Bones cracked (but were they already broken?) and blood spewed from his mouth. Shifu coughed, tasting the metallic liquid in his mouth. He looked up at his murderer's face with glazed eyes. But they widened when he saw the figure's true identity._

_The figure had pale skin, black hair, and bright green eyes, which were now full of a lust for blood._

"_S-Siren?" Shifu gasped._

_The human smiled cruelly and took a sword from the scabbard at her hip. She spun it in her hand for a moment before pointing the blade tip towards Shifu. She took the sword in both hands and raised it high above her head. The blade glinted wickedly as it was aimed for Shifu._

"_Hate hath no fury like woman scorned." Siren told him. _

_The sword came down._

Shifu gasped as he bolted upright. He panted, eyes wide and his nails digging into the floor beneath him. He looked around him. Po was lying on his stomach, snoring lightly as he mumbled inaudible words in his sleep. Monkey was on his back, using his arm for a pillow. Viper was curled up in her coils, breathing evenly. Crane was on one leg, his head tucked under a wing. Mantis was nestled in one of Po's radish baskets, curled up with the vegetables. Tigress was lying on her side, her back to him.

Shifu took a breath to calm his nerves, going through the last few days' events. He journeyed to Gongmen to find his students. He "persuaded" Ox and Croc to join the fight. They had all been battling Lord Shen and his weapon. They were blasted into the harbor. Po used his Inner Peace technique to defeat him. They spent a day in Gongmen to rest and heal from their battle. Now, they were on a boat, heading for home.

The elder red panda glanced over at Po. He was slightly jealous that Po had discovered Inner Peace so early, and he hated that Po had to find it through pain and suffering, like him. Po didn't deserve it; he's too kind of spirit. Shifu sighed and shuddered slightly, thinking back to his vision he had a few days ago, when he saw Po get shot from such a close range. He remembered how he fell to the ground as he was meditating, how felt like a hole had been punched into his chest. He left an hour later. Lily and Ling, the panther twins, were away in another town, so Shifu left Siren in charge while he was gone. The human girl was passing through the village on her way home from a mission and decided to stop by.

Siren.

Shifu shook his head. He carefully snuck away from his sleeping students to get some fresh air. He breathed in the ocean air, thinking it would cleanse his thoughts. He couldn't shake how badly this dream had scared him, and he was angry with himself that he let it terrify him so badly. He was shocked that it was Siren who was torturing him and eventually going to kill him. He could never imagine Siren doing something like that. Or could she? Was it possible for the human to commit such an act? To hate him so much that she'd kill him? Shifu thought back to the last thing she said. "Hate hath no fury like a woman scorned." She had said. Why would she say that? Then, Shifu realized something.

It was Siren speaking, but it wasn't her voice.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

"Hey guys!" Siren waved as the Five and Shifu came up the stairs. Shifu jumped a little, but was able to conceal his uneasiness.

"Hey Siren!" Monkey called. "When'd you get here?"

"A few days ago." Siren said. "Shifu had me palace-sit while you were all away."

"Any problems?" Tigress asked.

"Nope." Siren shook her head. "No bandits or anything. Been kinda quiet."

"Consider it a blessing." Shifu said. He and the Five walked with Siren towards the barracks. "How is your father doing?"

"Great." Siren nodded. "He's also on a mission, but he said he'd come by to meet up."

"That's nice." Shifu nodded. He refused to make eye-contact with Siren, afraid to see that bloodlust in her eyes. Siren seemed to notice something odd and decided to talk with the Five. They broke off when they reached kitchen, the Five and Siren sitting down to talk and Shifu continuing into the hall. He used Oogway's staff to support him as he kept walking, feeling a little drained of energy. After the nightmare last night, he hadn't been able to fall asleep.

Shifu froze, his ears flickering towards a _creak _nearby. He turned, but couldn't see anyone. So he kept walking. But he found himself freezing again when the sound came, closer this time. He knew for a fact that the floorboards squeaked, but he also knew that it wasn't coming from him. He shifted into a fighting stance, holding his staff defensively in front of him. The only part of him that moved was his ears, which swiveled around for any more noise.

Then, something dropped from the ceiling and rolled to his feet. Something round with a coned head and a fuse on the end, currently burning.

Shifu barely had time to jump away as the firework exploded. The blast sent him flying a few extra feet before he crash landed into one of the guest rooms. The sound of multiple fireworks going off screamed in his ears as the hallway was suddenly engulfed with flames. Shifu got to his feet in time to see a wolf try to run. He chased after him. No doubt the canine was leftover from Shen's forces. Most of them had scattered, some making themselves known as rebels and others disappearing altogether. Shifu leaped over burning columns and made sharp turns around corners, keeping the wolf in sight at all times. Eventually, the wolf turned and snapped his jaws at the master. Shifu skidded to a halt before the dog could take a bite out of him. He swiped at the wolf's legs, and the being tumbled over. The elderly master pinned the wolf to the ground with Oogway's staff.

"You either have a lot of guts or no brains." Shifu snapped. "Maybe both; what are you doing here?"

"We were just sent here!" the wolf said quickly. "There are only a couple of us; we were promised protection and money if we blew up this place with you in it! That's all!"

"Who sent you?" Shifu demanded.

"I-I don't know!" the wolf stammered. "She was this crazy panther chick!"

Shifu tensed up, but didn't release his hold on the wolf. "Did she have golden brown eyes and a staff with an orb on the end?"

The wolf looked surprised. Then, his eyes widened in shock. "Look out!"

Shifu turned to see a burning rafter coming down towards his head. His grip on the wolf loosened enough for the canine to grab the elder master and jump away. The rafter crashed onto the spot they were just in, sending up a wave of sparks and ash.

"How did you know about that?" the wolf asked.

"No reason." Shifu coughed. "Why did you save me from being crushed?"

"Chick said to blow up the place with you in it." The wolf smirked. "Never specifically said to kill you."

Now it was Shifu's turn to be the life-saver: he shoved the wolf aside as a fireball sailed over his head.

"That's different." The wolf gulped. Shifu stared into the flames and the smoke and saw the one thing that made his skin crawl. The fur on the back of his neck bristled in fear. The figure in the smoke had the outline of a cat, but was too lithe to be Tigress. A staff with an orb on top was in the figure's hand. The orb end was pointed towards the wolf and Shifu. The red panda grabbed the wolf by the scruff and pulled him aside; another fireball blew up behind them.

"Split up!" Shifu ordered. "Find another way out, get your friends, and run." He suddenly yanked the wolf's ear. "I catch you terrorizing a village or blowing up houses, you're a dead man, got it?"

The wolf nodded fearfully. Shifu let him go, and he scampered off. Shifu ran the other direction. He didn't dare look back in fear of seeing that cat again. He knew that cat better than anyone. Then there was the issue of getting out of a burning building. He coughed in his sleeve; the smoke burned his eyes and throat. He spun in circles, but all he could see was burning wood and smoldering rice paper.

A laugh rang through the air. "Why run, Grandmaster? Afraid?"

Shifu growled. "Stay away from me."

"Or what?"

Another column fell beside Shifu, sending up sparks. Shifu desperately tried to wipe the ash from his eyes. The second he did, a fist connected with his face and sent him flying. He hit his head against a fallen rafter and spots danced across his vision. Before he could rise, he felt the curved end of Oogway's staff pin him to the rafter. He followed the peach wood to see the person, but the smoke seemed to swirl around the being, hiding them from Shifu's view.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Shifu demanded. He gave a choked gasp as the staff was pushed harder against his throat.

"Come on, Shifu." The figure chuckled. "You know who I am." The smoke was disappearing. "Then again, you were always a good liar." The smoke wasn't concealing the figure anymore. Shifu's eyes widened when he recognized the figure.

"Siren, let me go." Shifu tried to sound calm, but he was secretly terrified. He knew he wasn't dreaming right now; Siren was standing before him, using Oogway's staff to pin him to the ground, bloodlust in her eyes; she was probably going to kill him now.

Siren chuckled. "Afraid yet?"

"SHIFU!"

Siren looked up as a force slammed into her. Shifu gasped as the pressure was lifted from his abused throat. He stared into the smoke; he couldn't see anything, but he could hear the sounds of two females fighting. Shifu stood and tried to make his way to them, but his vision suddenly blurred and he stumbled. He shook his head, but his last blow to the head made him disoriented. The smoke in the air was intruding into his lungs and making it hard to breathe. Suddenly, a body crashed into Shifu, sending the two of them to the floor. Shifu coughed as he kept breathing ash and smoke instead of air. He felt someone grabbing his shoulders and shaking him, speaking frantically. A cloth was put over his mouth. He tried to pull it away, but he caught Siren's voice.

"Keep it over your mouth." She instructed. "It'll block the ash and smoke, for the most part."

Shifu was slightly disoriented, but he could hear genuine concern in Siren's voice.

"Can you stand?" Siren asked.

Shifu could only cough, but he nodded. He tried to stand, but his legs kept giving out. Even when Siren gave him his staff, his muscles refused to work for him. Siren eventually scooped him up in her arms and ran off into the flames and smoke. Shifu kept the cloth over his mouth and nose, watching where Siren was taking him through bleary eyes. He could vaguely make out a wall rapidly getting closer. Siren pulled Shifu into her shoulder, covering his head with her hand, and jumped, shifting herself to make sure her back hit the wall. They burst through the burning wood, tumbling to the ground. Shifu rolled out of Siren's grip and lay unmoving on the ground. He coughed as the smoke in his windpipe was replaced with clean air. He could hear some people shouting frantically and someone rolled him on his back. He blinked to clear his vision, to no avail. He could see a pale, blurred shape that could only be Siren. Another shape was talking to him frantically, this one bright orange and brown. Shifu tried to speak, but his voice wouldn't work. He felt the energy being drained from his body.

Then, he slipped into peaceful, painless unconsciousness.


	3. Ch 3 Surprises

**Chapter Three- Surprises**

"_Stop it!" she giggled. "It's cold!"_

"_What's wrong?" he laughed. "You always said if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen!"_

"_We're in a lake!" she shrieked as he splashed her again. "Cut it out, Shifu!"_

"_Not a chance!" he laughed. He splashed her again. She laughed, her eyes shining. _Gosh, she's pretty.

_She saw the look in his eyes. "What is it?"_

"_Oh, nothing." Shifu shrugged. "I was just admiring how beautiful you are."_

_She rolled her eyes and splashed him. "Shut up."_

"_That was a compliment!" Shifu laughed._

"_Whatever!" she growled playfully, but he knew she was blushing under her fur. She swam to the edge and climbed out of the water. "You coming out for lunch?" _

"_Be there in a sec!" Shifu lay on his back and floated on the water's surface. "You know, this is really a great place. We need to come here more often!" He waited for her response, but one never came. "Hello?" He turned and started treading water, looking toward the shoreline. But she wasn't there. "Where'd you go?" But no sound came from the forest nearby. The picnic blanket was still laid out, the food untouched. Suddenly, the water seemed freezing cold. A cloud covered the sun._

_Someone screamed. _

_Shifu turned to find the source, but something grabbed his ankle and dragged him underwater. He thrashed around, fighting to get to the surface. He heard someone calling for him. Was it her? He had to get to her! She's in trouble! The voice calling for him was changing, but didn't sound any less desperate. _

"_Shifu!"_

_He had to get up. The darkness was closing in._

"_Shifu!"_

_He couldn't take it. He was choking. _

"_Shifu!"_

"Shifu! Wake up!"

He gasped and bolted upright for the second time in two days. He placed a hand to his head and groaned.

"Can this get any worse?" he muttered.

"Don't jinx yourself."

Shifu turned and saw Siren. "What happened? Where am I?"

"In the infirmary." Siren said. "You almost died in a fire. I was just standing guard in case that girl trying to kill you came back. Then you started gasping, like you were drowning." She visibly shuddered. "It was kind of scary."

"Kind of?"

Siren turned and smiled at the sight of her father. The Sacred Onyx Council Hierarch smiled back and averted his gaze to his friend. "Can't you go through one day without coming an inch from death?"

Shifu shrugged. "Nope."

Chao laughed and shook his head. "You're the most insane person I've ever met."

"You're one to talk." Siren said with a smirk. Chao gave her a shove.

"How do the barracks look?" Shifu asked.

"They can be rebuilt." Siren assured. "And the Five and Po can sleep somewhere else. What's important right now is that someone tried to kill you. What happened in there?"

"Nothing happened." Shifu shook his head. "I'm going to find the Five." He tried to stand, but Siren put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him down. She stared at him hard.

"Shifu, you almost _died._" Siren emphasized. "What happened? What did you see?" Shifu looked to Chao for support, but the lizard was siding with the human this time. So Shifu sighed and told them what he saw.

"You did what?" Chao snapped.

"I wasn't trying to kill him." Siren shook her head. "I was stopping someone else from killing him. I didn't really see who it was, but she did look a lot like me."

"Her voice was different." Shifu said.

"So what do we do?" Chao asked. "We didn't find any wolves or cats or humans after the fire was put out."

"We stay alert." Shifu said. "Nothing more we can do." He stood up and walked out, taking up Oogway's staff to keep him up. He still felt drained of energy.

"Shifu, you really should stay in bed." Siren said. "You're hurt."

"I'll be fine." Shifu assured. Ok, that was a lie, but he wasn't about to admit that he was still weak. But why? Was being in a fire for that long supposed to do that?

"Shifu, with all due respect, you need rest." Siren insisted. "I can tell you're still hurt from the attack."

"Thank you for the concern." Shifu said. "But I assure you, I'm fine."

"I know your lying." Siren glared hard.

Shifu sighed. "Siren, I've lived through worse. I think I can handle it."

Siren stood up fast, her chair scooting back a few inches. "Fine, be that way." She growled, stomping out of the room. "Get yourself killed for all I care!" Shifu stared after her. He looked to Chao, but the lizard only shrugged innocently and walked off.

"You know, you really should take Siren's advice." Chao said. "She only wants to keep you safe."

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

Chao sighed. "Don't ask."

He left before Shifu _could _ask. Shifu looked back and forth between the door and the bed across the room. The very soft, comfortable-looking bed. Eventually, he sighed and crawled into the bed. Sleep sounded absolutely heavenly right now.

He woke up sometime later and found a cup of tea and a bowl of stir fry and rice on the table next to his bed. A note was next to the food. Shifu took the note and immediately recognized Siren's slightly untidy scrawl.

_I'm sorry for the outburst. Not feeling too great. Your little confrontation with death didn't help. Anyway, I just wanted to apologize. Can we talk later? When I come to pick up your dishes? I'll try not to yell. You're welcome to refuse. –Siren._

Shifu set the note down and took up his food. He ate in silence. There seemed to be no taste in his mouth. Even the tea seemed to have no flavor. Siren came by an hour later. By then, his bowl and cup were clean and he was lying with his back to the human. Siren looked over his shoulder and saw him sound asleep. She sighed.

"I guess it's better this way." She said. "I guess it's easier to talk to someone that can't talk back. I just wanted to say I was sorry. I didn't mean to shout and lose my temper. It's been happening a lot lately. Believe me, it's not you." Siren put a hand on Shifu's shoulder, rubbing it with her thumb. "Ever since Jiao-long almost killed my dad, I've been a bit overprotective. I can't lose my family Shifu, you have to understand that. Chao's the only dad I've got. Everyone here is my family too; the Five, Po, the twins….you…." Siren's head dipped. "I won't lose you, Shifu. I just couldn't handle it if you died. You're my family, and I refused to let you die. The day you die, it'll be of old age. It will _not _be because of murderers or fires." Siren gave Shifu's shoulder a squeeze. She stood and put a light kiss on Shifu's ear. Instinctively, it flicked. Siren smiled. "I love you." Siren stood up and walked out of the room. She didn't know Shifu was still awake and could hear what she said.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR _

"You're getting sleepy."

He twitched.

"You're getting sleepy."

He groaned and rolled over.

"You're getting sleepy!"

He buried his head in the pillow.

Silence.

He sighed and pulled the blanket over his nose.

"Wake up Big Ears!"

Shifu jumped three feet in the air and found himself nose-to-nose with a familiar red fox.

Shifu groaned. "What in the good name of Heaven are you doing here, Junjie?"

Junjie smiled like he was a young boy. "Just coming for a visit. Heard there was a fire."

"How did you hear about that?" Shifu asked.

"I was passing through town and saw the smoke." Junjie shrugged. Shifu raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "Ok, fine, I was tracking someone."

"Care to explain?" Shifu asked.

"Uh, long story?" Junjie lied.

Shifu's only response was to smile and pat the bed.

"It was a few weeks ago." Junjie spoke as he got comfortable. "I found someone living in Jiao-long's abandoned castle. I couldn't tell who he was; he wore a heavy robe to hide his face. When he saw me, he blasted me with some sort of scepter. I barely got away. I found him again a week later. He was stealing books from a library and a bookstore. Who steals _books _anyway? It's ridiculous! Anyway, I followed him back to the castle and he started tearing through the books like his life depended on it. I kept tracking him until I ended up here."

"Sounds a little stalker-ish." Shifu noted.

"I was _tracking _him!" Junjie snapped. He looked around, like someone was listening. "I'm serious, Shifu. This guy is dangerous."

"Lots of people are dangerous." Shifu countered. "You're sure you couldn't recognize anything about him?"

"Nothing." Junjie shook his head. "The robe was huge and black and covered everything on him. I couldn't tell if he was hunched over or short; if he was huge or super skinny; I can't see how he could've moved in that thing."

Shifu shook his head. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Maybe he's an old enemy." Junjie suggested. "Who's out trying to kill you?"

Shifu gave a deadpanned look. "You honestly think I keep track of who wants me dead? You used to be one of those people."

Junjie shrugged. "I was just thinking that-"

Both froze; two sets of ears swiveled simultaneously towards the door.

"You heard that?" they asked simultaneously. "Yes. Let's go."

They shared a look.

"We should stop now." Junjie said.

"Agreed." Shifu nodded. They jumped off the bed and snuck down the hallway. They crept down and peered around the corner. They spied a flash of a shadow disappear at the other end of the hall.

"They're heading for the Hall of Warriors." Junjie said.

Shifu narrowed his eyes. "You said that cloaked being was stealing books, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Junjie asked. Shifu gave him a look, and he got the message. "We should hurry." They darted down the hall, their feet barely touching the ground. They arrived at the doors to the hall, now open. They each hid behind a pillar, listening. Someone was inside. The sound of scrolls hitting the ground resonated from the hall. Shifu and Junjie locked eyes, blue on orange, and nodded in understanding. They calmly walked into the hall, stopping halfway down the path to the Moon Pool.

"Excuse me; I don't think you belong here." Shifu said.

The figure at the end of the hall froze and spun around. Nothing could be seen under the giant cloak they wore. Junjie could've sworn he saw the figure's hand, and it was…..changing?

The figure shed its cloak to reveal a burly wolf wearing black clothing. "What do you want?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"We'd like you to leave." Junjie said.

The wolf gave a sort of half-grunt, half-laugh. "I ain't afraid of you. In fact, if you leave now, I won't have to kill you."

The fox and red panda took strong fighting stances. They glared hard at the wolf with unblinking eyes.

The wolf sighed. "Your funeral."

He attacked.

Shifu and Junjie jumped away as the wolf snapped his jaws at them. Junjie looped back around and aimed a kick for the larger canine's head. The wolf grabbed the fox's foot and threw him aside, distracting him long enough for Shifu to land a roundhouse kick to his chest. The wolf tumbled to the ground, but was back on his feet in seconds, snarling at Shifu. The small master rushed forward, ducking as the wolf swiped his claws at him. Junjie jumped into the air and hammer kicked the wolf's head. The huge dog growled. He swatted Shifu away and grabbed Junjie by his scruff. He slammed the fox into the floor. He thrust his head down, his teeth aimed for Junjie's throat. Junjie took a hold of the wolf's jaws and pushed back with all his strength, the wolf's glistening white teeth inches from his face.

Shifu suddenly barreled into the wolf out of nowhere. He and the wolf fell head over tail and hit a pillar. The wolf snarled and latched his teeth onto Shifu's shoulder. Shifu gritted his teeth and stifled a shout. The wolf bit harder, and Shifu couldn't help but cry out. He suddenly had the sensation of flying and crashed into something hard, landing with a _thump _on the cold floor. Shifu struggled to sit up. Once again, he felt like all the energy in him had been drained. He put a hand to his shoulder, which didn't seem to be bleeding that badly. The wolf prowled towards Shifu, taking a stance like a hunting cat.

He yelped when Junjie suddenly jumped on his shoulders and pulled back his ears. The wolf thrashed around, trying to get the fox off. But Junjie kept pulling, and the wolf stumbled about. Shifu rushed in to help, only to stumble and fall. Why was he suddenly so weak? He shook his head and watched as the wolf and fox stumbled around like drunks. Shifu's eyes went wide when the wolf suddenly tripped and fell backwards….right into the Moon Pool. The burly wolf and Junjie disappeared beneath the pool's surface.

"Junjie!" Shifu called. He pushed himself to a standing position and fought to remain standing as he made his way to the pool. But he only got to the stairs when he fell again. He muttered curses under his breath and dragged himself to the edge of the waters. He stared as bubbles came to the surface. "Junjie!" he shouted. He scanned the water, but neither Junjie nor the wolf could be seen. Shifu's eyes widened in horror when the bubbles stopped coming to the surface. "Junjie?"

Nothing. Not a soul could be seen. Both beings had disappeared in the darkness of the pool.

Shifu sighed, closing his eyes in sorrow and defeat. "Junjie…."


	4. Ch 4 One More Problem

**Chapter Four- One More Problem**

The next morning, Chao found Shifu lying at the edge of the Moon Pool, his arm in the waters. Naturally, the lizard master feared the worst and rushed to make sure his friend was still alive. Thankfully, he was; but Chao still worried for the suspicious-looking bite marks. He hurried Shifu off to the infirmary once more. When Shifu had woken up, he wouldn't speak or move; he just sat in bed.

"There's something definitely wrong." Siren said at lunch that day. "This isn't just a couple random attacks. Someone Shifu knows personally is out to get him killed."

"Maybe Fenghuang?" Po suggested. "Or Junjie? They're by far the only people that know Shifu best."

"It can't be Fenghuang." Tigress shook her head. "I know for a fact that she'd want to kill Shifu herself. It wouldn't be like her to hire people to take him out."

"And Junjie?" Mantis asked. "What if he went all evil again and came back?"

"Last I checked, Junjie had creepy leopards for students, not some wolves and a cat." Po reminded.

"It's not Junjie." Chao said as he came in. He looked solemn. "I just had a talk with him; turns out Junjie came for a visit last night. Someone broke into the Hall of Warriors and they went to stop them. Both the intruder and Junjie drowned in the Moon Pool."

Everyone was shocked into silence. "Junjie's dead?" Viper asked.

Chao nodded. "Shifu wanted to let you know, so you didn't jump to conclusions. He also wanted to say that you all have the day off to enjoy it as you please." He turned and walked away. Everyone noticed that the lizard's long tail, usually curved like an S, was dragging on the floor. They all remembered that only happened when Chao was truly upset over something.

"It can't be Junjie."

Everyone looked towards Tigress. "What do you mean?" Monkey asked.

"Chao can't be _this _upset about Junjie being gone, even if they have made up." Tigress said. "It's something else; he's acting so…mournful."

Siren sighed. "Well, why don't we try and enjoy ourselves? Any plans?"

"How about we head down to Mr. Ping's?" Crane suggested.

"Probably not the best idea." Po said. "Yesterday we had a little, ah,_ discussion_, on whether or not you can mix beets into congee, and I really don't want to go through it again. What are you going to do, Siren?"

"Oh, I have a very important job to do today." Siren said. "It'll be awfully boring."

"Why don't we help you?" Monkey offered.

"Oh, no, I couldn't ask you to do that." Siren said.

"Don't worry about it." Po said. "There's no way we're training on a day off, and I don't want to bother Shifu and Chao if they're so upset. We'd love to help." The Five agreed.

Siren smiled. "Very well. Thank you all." She stood up. "I've got the stuff in my room; meet me at the Peach Tree." She ran off.

"Wonder what she'll have us do." Mantis wondered aloud.

"Who knows?" Monkey shrugged. "But we aren't training, so that's a plus!"

"Don't be so lazy!" Tigress scolded. "We should still be training."

"C'mon Tigress, learn to lighten up." Po said. "Let's go!" They followed Po out to Oogway's sacred tree, Tigress grumbling a little. Siren was already there, a basket in the crook of her elbow. She motioned with her head for them to follow her as she led the group down the steep slope to the forest at the bottom. Po slipped and tumbled to the ground, hitting a bamboo stalk at the bottom. Everyone laughed, and Po could only playfully give them a frown. Siren kept walking, her friends close behind her. As they moved through the bamboo forest, the tall stalks got closer together. They kept going until Siren stopped them at the base of a small mountain. The Five and Po looked and saw something a little disturbing: a gravestone. They quietly read what the writing said: _In remembrance of Ren. Daughter of Master Zhan Shi, wife to Master Chao, mother to Siren Jin, student of Grandmaster Oogway, a true friend and warrior._

"Master Zhan Shi?" Po geeked out. "_The _Master Zhan Shi? The former Hierarch of the Sacred Onyx Council? Dude, he was one of the awesomest guys in Sacred Onyx Council history! You're mother was the daughter of Master Zhan Shi?"

"Yep." Siren nodded. "Adopted, of course, but his daughter nonetheless." Siren knelt down in front of the grave. "Oogway had a vision that I would be in danger here, so she left for another world to keep me safe. It's been exactly ten years to the day since she left for that world, and it's been ten years since she died."

Po's fan boy-ish attitude evaporated in two seconds. "Oh…."

"Don't worry about it." Siren waved it off. "She lived a pretty good life. That's why I'm here; to celebrate her." She looked towards the group. "You can leave if you want."

"Not a chance." Tigress shook her head. "We said we'd come, and we're staying."

Siren smiled. She set the basket down and started unloading it. First she set a small towel down in front of the grave and placed a painting of her mother on top of it, resting it against the stone. Then she unloaded some uncooked rice and placed the bowl in front of the picture. The last thing to come out was a small bowl and some incense. Siren lit the sticks and let them burn, the trail of smoke rising into her face. She breathed in the scent of jasmine and let out a content sigh. She looked at the picture of her mother and couldn't help but tear up a little. Tigress's eyes wandered to the small field of flowers nearby. She motioned for Viper to follow her. The two girls quietly made their way to the field and started picking the flowers there. The boys wandered in different directions, picking up medium-sized stones on the way. The warriors journeyed back to the human with their gifts in hand. The girls placed the flowers on either ends of the towel. The boys placed their stones in a semi-circle around the offering site. Siren looked up and smiled. Together, the seven of them sat before the grave, praying or meditating. Some baby birds rested on the bowl of rice and started pecking at the grains. Monkey tried to shoo them away, but Siren stopped him.

"Mom always loved birds." Siren explained as they walked back. "She always used to feed them when she was outside."

"She sounds really nice." Po said.

"She was." Siren nodded. "Hey, I'm going to check on Shifu. Why don't you go on to the training hall and I'll show you some moves my mom made up?"

"Sweet!" Po punched the air. "Last one there's the target!" He ran off with Monkey, Mantis, Crane, and Viper right behind him, not wanting to be the practice dummy.

Tigress stayed behind. "I'd like to check up on Master as well. Let's go."

Siren nodded and let the tiger master follow her. They walked off towards the infirmary, chatting about Siren's mother. When they reached the infirmary, Siren knocked and opened the door. She and Tigress found Shifu sitting in a lotus position on a bed, facing the window.

"Master Shifu?" Tigress piped up.

The red panda's ears had been lying flat on his skull, but they twitched when Tigress spoke. Shifu turned to only halfway face them. He had a tired look in his eyes, like he had been up all night.

"Good afternoon." He said. He even sounded tired. "Can I help you two with something?"

"We just wanted to check on you." Siren said. "You've been in here for a long time. Why don't you take a walk with us?"

"I don't think…." Shifu paused, and then smiled. "Actually, that sounds very nice." He stood, taking Oogway's staff in his paws, and followed the girls out. They walked along the pathways of the palace, mostly remaining quiet. The skies were clear and the sun was bright, and the air was warm and smelled faintly of grass.

"So what have you been doing?" Shifu asked.

"Helping Siren." Tigress said.

"Ah, yes." Shifu nodded. "Today's the anniversary. I apologize for not joining you."

"You needed your rest." Siren said. "Don't worry about it. Oh! I forgot! I was going to teach the Five and Po some of my mom's techniques."

"Guess we left them back at the Training Hall." Tigress smirked.

"Can't wait to see who gets to be the training dummy." Siren laughed.

Suddenly, Shifu pulled them back around the corner. They were up by the Sacred Hall of Warriors, and Shifu had pulled them back before they could reach the doors. They peered over and saw the doors were wide open. Siren looked through the rice paper window. If she concentrated, she could see the broken doors through Shifu's room. She could also see…

"Shifu, why are there dolls in your room?" Siren whispered.

Shifu's face burned under his fur. "They're not dolls!" he hissed.

"Then what are they?" Siren raised an eyebrow.

Shifu ducked his head. "Nothing…."

Siren rolled her eyes. _Great. Shifu plays with action figures. That's just brilliant. _

"Can you see anything else?" Tigress asked.

"The doors are broken." Siren reported. "But I can't see much else."

"Chao was in there." Shifu said in a low voice. Siren's eyes widened. Shifu motioned for the girls to stay quiet and to follow him. They snuck over to the doors, staying low beneath the windows. Shifu motioned for the girls to stay as he peered into the hall. He narrowed his eyes and turned to the girls.

"I'm going in." Shifu whispered softly. "Find the others and get back here as soon as you can."

"We're not leaving you alone in there." Tigress whispered.

"Just go!" Shifu hissed. He turned and slipped into the hall unnoticed, scaling the jade pillars and silently creeping across the rafters. He gazed down at the scene below him.

A 20 foot long python, black and brown in color, was slithering amongst the hall. Others were with him: another python like him but smaller, a large black bear, a porcupine, a dhole, and an elephant. In the coils of the smaller python was Chao. The monitor's mouth was bleeding, he was missing a few teeth, and a shallow scratch was on his cheek. Other than that, he looked ready to beat his captors to a pulp. His eyes followed the larger python, who was obviously the leader.

The python stopped in front of the Moon Pool. His tongue flickered in and out of his mouth as he stared into the waters, deep in thought. Then, he turned back to Chao and slithered over.

"You know who we're here for." The python said, his voice smooth. "If you hand him over now, we'll leave everyone else alive, including you." Chao was silent; he only glared at the large snake before him. The snake sighed. "You have my word that nobody else will be harmed if you hand him over. Or simply tell us where he is. If you refuse, then everyone here will be killed, and it'll be your head."

"Let's just kill him now, Fang." The smaller python hissed. "He's no use to us if he won't talk."

"Now, little Dúyé, be patient." Fang smiled. "I thought our mother taught us patience."

"My apologies, Brother." Dúyé dipped his head. "I'm just dying to sink my fangs into something."

Fang chuckled; like his little brother's murderous thoughts were amusing to him. "Still, you have a point." He turned his attention back to Chao. "If you can't give us an answer soon, then you will truly be of no use to us, and we'll have to dispose of you." Dúyé hissed with pleasure and wrapped his coils tighter around Chao. The lizard master gritted his teeth, finding it getting harder and harder to breathe. Dúyé dropped his jaw and extended his fangs threateningly. Chao was unfazed.

"Let's kill him now." The black bear growled. "He's too noble to give away his friends."

"I am a merciful master." Fang waved his tail. "I think I'll give him to the count of three." He smirked. "One…" Chao glared hard, ignoring Dúyé as the snake held his fangs ready. "Two…." Fang's smile was gone and was replaced with a dissatisfied frown. Still, Chao was silent. "Thr-"

"Ahem."

Everyone turned to the door. Chao's vision was blocked by the elephant and the bear, but he knew that voice.

"How may I help you, little one?" Fang asked. Chao tried to shout from where he was but Dúyé wrapped his tail around Chao's neck, silencing him.

"I-I thought I heard someone." Siren said timidly. She was a pretty good actress; standing by the broken doors looking very concerned and a little scared. "I was looking for Master Shifu to tell him something important. Are you friends of his?"

"Yes, we are." Fang said, bowing. "My name is Fang."

"Fitting name." Siren muttered.

Fang laughed heartily. "I was just looking for Shifu as well. Please, come in, this is your home I'm in after all." Siren nodded shyly and came forward. She carefully made her way towards the group, keeping her eyes on her enemies. She could plainly see the python's lackeys deliberately standing in front of something…or someone.

"What business do you have with my master?" Siren asked calmly.

"We're old friends." Fang said. "These are just some of my students. I simply was passing through and decided to pay a visit."

"How nice." Siren sighed. "We've just had some attacks recently, and I was concerned for his safety."

"Can't he take care of himself?" the dhole sneered.

Siren gave him a sly look. "He can kick your tails to the next country over."

Chao found an opportunity. Dúyé was leaning forward to get a glimpse at Siren, and he was right in front of Chao's nose. Under normal circumstances, the esteemed master would never consider this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Chao reached forward and snapped his jaws onto the snake. Dúyé shouted in pain, loosening his coils so Chao could jump out. Chao spun and kicked the snake's jaw.

"Run, Siren!" he shouted.

Siren did run, straight towards her father. She jumped and delivered a strong kick to the dhole's chest, sending the canine flying. Shifu jumped down from the rafters and Tigress came bounding in. The warriors leapt into battle. Shifu went straight towards Fang while Tigress took on the bear and the elephant. Siren battled with the dhole. Chao continued fighting Dúyé. Unfortunately, the battle was brief, for they had forgotten about the porcupine. A very unique porcupine, who was able to shoot his quills like arrows. He pinned Tigress and Siren to the pillars by their clothes. This distracted Chao long enough for Dúyé to slam the lizard into the ground, knocking him out cold. Shifu rushed in to help, but Fang grabbed the red panda by the ankle and threw him across the room. Shifu tumbled to the ground, but was back on his feet in seconds, holding Oogway's staff ready.

"Well, it seems the pale demon is a sly one." Fang smirked. Siren hissed like a cat, showing off her sharp canine teeth. The black bear suddenly yanked her free from the pillar and held her hands behind her, immobilizing the girl. The elephant did the same to Tigress.

"Let them go." Shifu growled.

"Or what?" Fang demanded. "We have strict orders to follow, and I'm not about to go against them."

"So you're not the true leader." Shifu guessed. "You're taking orders from someone else."

Fang hissed. "I take orders from no one!" His eyes were filled with fury, and Shifu smirked in triumph; he struck a nerve.

Fang turned from the red panda. He knew it wouldn't be easy to bring him down, given his reputation. But he spied Tigress, Siren, and the unconscious Chao, and he got an idea.

"Bind them." Fang ordered. The dhole nodded and took some chains from his bag. The bear and the elephant held Tigress and Siren still as they were bound. Chao was tied with them.

"Drop them, now." Shifu ordered.

"Don't worry." Fang waved him off. "They'll be fine. If you follow orders, that is."

Shifu narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Just you." Fang assured. "Surrender yourself to us and we let them live. Refuse and your friends can take a swim." The elephant grabbed the chained warriors and walked over to the Moon Pool, holding his captives over the bottomless pool. Shifu glared hard, but inside he was scared. He already lost Junjie to the pool, and he refused to lose anyone else.

"If I do as you ask, you'll let them go." Shifu said. Fang nodded. "Very well." Shifu relaxed from his stance.

"Very good." Fang smiled. Dúyé slithered forward to claim his next victim. Fang looked towards the elephant. "Drop them." The elephant smirked and obeyed. Siren, Tigress, and Chao went under the water.

"No!" Shifu shouted. He darted forward, leaping over Dúyé and Fang's heads and dodging the bear and dhole. He blocked the porcupine's quills with his staff and jumped off the elephant's head, diving into the waters of the Moon Pool.


	5. Ch 5 The Arrival

**Chapter Five- The Arrival**

Shifu swam deeper and deeper. He could see the outline of the others sinking below him. A trail of bubbles floated towards him. He kept swimming, trying to propel himself with Oogway's staff. He didn't trust himself to let go of the staff and let it float to the surface. No way would he let those low-lives's get a hold of it.

There! They were getting close. Shifu kicked harder, swimming as fast as he could. His lungs burned. He needed to get them and get to the surface fast. Shifu pushed himself. Siren's bright green eyes locked with his dark blue ones, pleading him to hurry. She struggled against her bonds, but only managed to pull an arm free. She reached towards Shifu. The red panda reached, but he was still far away. He extended Oogway's staff towards Siren, holding the curved end in his hands. Siren took a hold of the staff and pulled Shifu in. Shifu took a hold of the chains wrapped around the trio.

Suddenly, the four of them were propelled forward by a strange current. Shifu held on tight as they kept going. His lungs screamed for air, but he couldn't swallow any. Siren screamed a little, but shut her mouth again. Tigress struggled to get free. That's when they noticed the darkness they were in change to light. Shifu took a hold of the chain and pulled everyone towards the lights. He could tell these weren't the lights of the Heavens, and he was desperate to get everyone up. He didn't notice the smooth marble turn to sand and rocks, nor did he notice the fish, ducks, and turtles around him.

They burst through the surface with deep gasps. Chao coughed up water and gulped down air, spitting water from his mouth. Shifu noticed a shoreline nearby and pulled everyone up the banks. He untied them quickly.

"That-" Tigress coughed. "-what was that?"

"_That _was crazy!" Chao snapped, coughing more water from his mouth.

"I don't understand." Shifu breathed heavily. "I thought the Moon Pool was bottomless."

"It is." Siren sighed as she stood up. "The Moon Pool _is _bottomless because it spit us out here. It's like a tunnel filled with water."

Tigress's eyes widened. "You know what this means? Junjie may not be dead!"

"What?" Shifu asked.

"You said Junjie and the intruder fell into the pool and didn't come up." Tigress explained. "Maybe they didn't drown; maybe they came here."

"If that's true, then we need to find Junjie and get us all back." Siren said. "If there's a way back, that is."

"There must be." Chao assured.

"What about that intruder?" Siren asked. "Will he be here too?"

"Most likely." Shifu nodded. "He's a big black wolf, so keep a lookout."

"Whoa, wait a minute." Siren held up her hands. "Let's take on one problem at a time. We just went through some sort of underwater tunnel and ended up on the banks of a small river. We don't know where we are, Junjie and that wolf may still be alive, and we need to find a way home. We'll keep a lookout for Junjie and the wolf, but right now we should figure out where exactly we are."

"How far do you think we went?" Tigress asked as she looked around. All that could be seen was the calm river they had just come from, the forest surrounding it, and a large waterfall nearby.

"I'd like to say a mile at the most, more likely less." Siren said.

"But we would be able to see the palace even from a mile away." Shifu said.

Chao looked around. "This doesn't look like the forest near the valley."

Shifu looked as well. The trees and bamboo were mixed evenly, and he could hear birds singing. He couldn't understand what they were saying. Then, he heard something odd, something he couldn't identify. It sounded like a bustling city, but he kept hearing loud noises that he couldn't describe.

"I think I hear a city or something." Shifu noted.

"Well, let's head that way." Siren suggested. The four of them followed Shifu as they hiked through the forest. As they walked, the warriors noted how small animals like squirrels and chipmunks scampered away from them, like they were afraid.

"I think I hear the city." Tigress said. "But I've never heard a city so noisy."

"It's strange." Chao agreed. "I can't think of anything that would make those noises."

Siren listened. The noises sounded awfully familiar. The last time she heard noises like that…..

"No, it can't be." She muttered.

"Hey!" Tigress suddenly shouted. "It's Crane! Up there!" They looked up into the sky and saw a white shape high in the cloudless sky.

"What's he doing out here?" Shifu asked.

"Does it matter?" Tigress retorted. "He can tell us where we are and we can go get Fang!" She cupped her paws around her mouth. "Crane! Down here! We're down here!"

"Master Crane!" Chao shouted. "Get down here!"

"Why is he up so high?" Shifu wondered aloud. "Can birds even fly that high without getting airsick or something?"

Siren shaded her eyes. She froze in shock. "Guys, that's not Crane."

Everyone looked towards the human. She was rooted in the spot, looking like she'd seen a ghost.

"If that's not Crane, who is it?" Shifu asked.

"Not who, _what_." Siren corrected. "If I'm correct, then I know where we are." She turned and ran off. "Follow me!" The human's three companions tried to ask, but Siren was making a full sprint through the woods. She stopped at the top of a hill and froze. The others joined her and looked out in the landscape. The three of them, sans Siren, stared in shock.

Lying out before them was a huge city. But every building they could see, minus the neighborhood houses that dotted the outskirts of the city, were made of metal and glass. Most of the buildings were only slightly shorter than the Tower of Sacred Flame. Large metal boxes on wheels moved about the city on roads made from black rock with yellow or white stripes. Giant, white, bird-like things were landing from the skies.

"That wasn't a bird." Siren said. "That was an airplane. And this is Beijing, China." She sighed. "We're in the human world."

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

"This is insane!" Tigress continued her rant. "How could we end up in a whole different world just by going through the Moon Pool? How is that possible?"

The four of them had decided to camp out in the woods for the night. Siren had said the sight of a large lizard, a red panda, and more importantly a tiger walking on two feet and wearing clothes will freak out the average human. So they found a good place to make a fire and set up a makeshift campsite. They really didn't have camping supplies, so they just opted to make a fire and keep it going. There was plenty of wood, and Siren was easily able to make a fire. Chao and Siren were currently sitting at the fire, trying to ward off the cold of the night. Shifu was off to the side, meditating atop Oogway's staff. Tigress was pacing back and forth across the fire, ranting and raving about the situation. A cold breeze blew, and Siren shivered. Chao wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders as they listened to Tigress.

"The _human _world!" Tigress was on the verge of a complete freak-out. "We're in a world where there are _humans!_"

"You got a problem with humans?" Siren asked innocently.

"No, of course not." Tigress assured. "But I've read the stories. All the 'animals' here can't talk; they don't like humans. Well, some like humans, but that's not the point! What are we supposed to do? We don't even know how we got here!"

"Through the Moon Pool." Siren shrugged. "And stop worrying; we'll find a way home."

Tigress sighed and sat down next to the fire. Shifu soon joined them, looking very concerned. Tigress noticed. "What's wrong?"

"They're still in the palace." Shifu said. "That overgrown snake is still in my home." He pinched the bridge of his nose in despair. "Po and the rest of the Five are still there."

"They'll be fine." Siren assured half-heartedly. "Then again, the sooner we get home, the better."

"So what's the plan?" Chao asked.

"Siren, you know this city, right?" Shifu asked the human.

"Yeah, I lived here for seven years." Siren nodded. "I know every street and everything on it."

"Do you remember anyone that can help us?" Shifu continued. "I don't know how it will help, but we need to start somewhere. It'll help to know that we have allies here."

Siren nodded. "Sounds good. I'll leave tomorrow."

"Good." Shifu nodded. "Good…."

Everyone could feel the tension and despair. Tigress curled into a ball to sleep, sweeping her tail around to cover her nose. Siren lay down close to the fire, trying to take in as much of the warmth as possible. Chao petted her head, lulling her to sleep before he went to sit next to Shifu. The two elder masters stared into the flames, both silent.

Shifu broke it first. "What are you thinking, Chao?"

Chao sighed through his nose. "Today was the anniversary of Ren's leaving. I lost my wife today. And ever since, I wondered where she could've gone; where Oogway would've sent her to keep her safe." He gulped down the lump in his throat. "When I went to Master Oogway the next morning, he was standing near the Moon Pool."

Shifu nodded. "She's here, isn't she?"

"This has to be where she was sent." Chao nodded. "It just _has _to be. Maybe I can find her and bring her back and-"

"Chao." Shifu had a pained look. "Ren died ten years ago." Chao looked away. "I realize you want her back." Shifu sighed. "I would love to have her back. But at the same time, I don't want you running after a false hope and then fall flat on your face."

Chao growled. "False hope?"

"Chao, listen to reasoning." Shifu reasoned. "Siren was a witness to her mother's death. We haven't seen Ren since Siren's return and we've been given no indication that she's alive."

Chao's face fell. "I know. But I can't give up. Not when I have something as small as this to prove she's still around. I won't give up. Not yet."

Shifu smiled a little. "I said listen to reasoning; I never said to give up the search." Shifu stood up and walked a few feet away. "I'll keep a lookout. You get some rest." He perched himself on Oogway's staff and froze, staying ever vigilant.

Chao looked between Siren and the direction where the city was.

_I won't give up. _Chao thought before lying down to sleep. _I _will _find you, Ren. _

**A/N: Hope you like what I'm putting out! Just one request: can you guys start reviewing a little more? That's what really gets me going, and I'd love some feedback here. Thanks! BR is out! Peace! **


	6. Ch 6 City Revelation

**Chapter Six- City Revelation**

Siren rubbed her eyes as she woke up. She involuntarily shivered; last night had been so cold. She looked over to the fire, long since died out and turned to ash. Siren looked around. Tigress, Shifu, and her father were all still fast asleep. She waited a moment in case they woke up before opening her palms and closing her eyes in focus.

A small fire appeared in her cupped hands.

Siren smiled, enjoying the warmth. Months after the battle with Jiao-long, the girl had found she still had some of her powers. However, they were limited to the natural elements around her. Fire was the only element she could summon on command. Any other element around her she could control: the earth, the air, water, any natural element.

_Wonder if I can control metal. _She thought.

Siren was quick to extinguish the flames in her hands when she heard someone waking up. She turned and saw Shifu stand and rub his neck.

"I haven't slept on the ground like that in a long time." he groaned. "I feel stiff as a board."

Siren laughed. "I'm used to it. When I was tracking Jiao-long, I spent many months' worth of nights on the cold ground or in a tree."

"I think I'd have preferred the tree." Shifu smirked. "So, are we heading to the city or not?"

"Shifu, you don't have to come." Siren assured as she stood. "People will stare at you."

"Well, I don't feel comfortable with you walking around by yourself." Shifu protested.

"I was born and partially raised in Beijing." Siren said. "I know what I'm doing. Just stay with Dad and Tigress."

"Or I can follow you." Shifu said as he did just that. Siren turned and crossed her arms.

"Shifu, I'm serious." Siren said firmly.

"So am I." Shifu countered. "Chao will never let me live it down if I let you go alone and you got hurt."

Siren had a hard time arguing with that. She sighed. "Fine." She allowed Shifu to follow her over the hill and down towards the city. "But we need to at least _try _and look conspicuous."

"How so?"

"Just trust me. And don't freak out."

Shifu didn't question her. But he had plenty to complain about when she explained her plan. They were near a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, hiding behind some trees. Children played in the streets and joggers were out.

"Alright, hand over your staff." Siren instructed.

"Why?" Shifu asked. If one thing was true, it was that Shifu was very fond of Oogway's staff, being the last thing he had to remember his master and father figure by.

"I won't lose it." Siren assured. "Trust me." Shifu's grip tightened on the peach wood, but he sighed and let the human take it. "Thank you. Now listen closely: can you take that jade wrap thing and make it a cloak?"

"Sure, but why?" Shifu asked again as he undid the clasp.

"Make it into a hooded cloak." Siren instructed, keeping an eye out for anyone that would see them. "If you can hide your face and your tail, we can pass you off as a little kid."

"Will that work?" Shifu asked. He tied the make shift cloak around his neck with the clasp and pulled the small hood over his head. If kept his ears flat, the hood covered his face enough for no one to see.

Siren studied him. The only thing she was concerned about was his elongated whiskers (she could never tell if they could be classified as a mustache or not).

"It should work." She looked out once more. "Let's go." They walked down into the neighborhood, trying to look like a teenage girl and her little brother. It seemed to work; nobody gave them weird looks or tried to shoot Shifu with a gun or something. In fact, many of the ones taking strolls greeted the pair warmly.

"I think its working." Siren said. "Nobody's even giving us a second glance."

"Good." Shifu nodded, pulling the hood farther over his head. "Where exactly are we going?"

"When I shopped downtown, I bought groceries from the farmer's market." Siren explained. "All the booth tenders knew who I was. No doubt they'll remember me."

"Good, what's the plan?" Shifu asked.

"We'll go into the market and I'll find someone I know." Siren said. "From there….uh….."

"What?"

"Well, I haven't worked out the details." Siren spied something out of the corner of her eye. "Your tail is sticking out!" she hissed. Shifu turned and pulled his cloak over his tail.

"Sorry." He said.

"Why is it so big and bushy?" Siren shook her head.

"It's not bushy." Shifu muttered.

"Heads up!"

_WHAM!_

Siren gasped in surprise as a boy on a bike suddenly hit Shifu. They fell to the ground in a heap. Shifu groaned and rubbed his head.

"I'm so sorry!" The boy stammered. "I didn't mean to hit you! I wasn't watching where I was going! Please forgive me!"

"Relax." Shifu assured. He suddenly realized the hood had fallen off his head. Siren waited with baited breath to see how the boy would react.

"I'm really sorry, Grandpa." The boy said, offering a hand to Shifu.

"Grandpa?" Shifu raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, sorry." The boy smiled. "My apologies, sir."

Shifu took the boy's hand as he was helped up. He and Siren exchanged looks.

"Uh, are you alright?" Shifu asked.

"Fine." The boy assured.

"Let me see your eyes." Shifu said. The boy looked directly at Shifu. "What do you see?"

"I see an elderly man that I just hit with my bike." The boy said.

"I don't look odd to you?"

"You look like an average human to me."

Shifu and Siren stared. "Uh, thank you." Siren said quickly. "You'd better just run along."

"Ok, thanks." The boy said. "Sorry again." He hopped on his bike and sped off, this time sticking to the road.

"Did he just say I look like a human?" Shifu asked.

"You look like a red panda to me." Siren said.

An elderly woman suddenly passed them. "Good morning." The woman greeted.

"Uh, morning." Shifu greeted.

"Are you new in town?" the woman asked.

"Yes." Siren nodded. "This is my grandfather, Shifu."

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you." The woman said. "You have a very fine-looking granddaughter, Shifu."

Shifu nodded in thanks as the woman walked off. "That was weird."

"Yeah." Siren nodded as they kept walking. "But I guess it works to our advantage. Everyone sees you as a human, so we don't have to worry about getting a disguise for you." Shifu nodded as he put his wrap back around him. Siren gave him Oogway's staff, thinking it would make more sense for an old man to be carrying it. They kept walking towards the city, greeting people in an attempt to fit in. There were other older people out on walks that morning, and they always complimented on Shifu having "such a beautiful young granddaughter". One old man commented that she would marry well, which made both Siren and Shifu turn bright red.

Suddenly, Shifu jumped. He stared in the window of a car nearby with shock. Siren looked, too, and she was just as surprised.

Shifu's reflection wasn't of a red panda, but a human. The human had slightly tan skin, like the light brown markings around Shifu's eyes. His hair and eyebrows were white, like Shifu's fur. He had Oogway's staff in hand and wore robes exactly like Shifu's. Whatever Shifu did, the reflection copied.

"That must be what humans see." Siren said. "You actually don't look that bad."

Shifu gave her a look. "Shut up. Let's keep going." Siren smirked and nodded.

"I wonder what Junjie, Tigress, and Chao will look like." Siren chuckled.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Tigress sat up and stretched. She looked over and saw Chao still asleep. Shifu and Siren were gone. But she wasn't worried; she had heard them leave. Tigress had fallen asleep again after that, but found she couldn't stay asleep. So she stood and did some Tai Chi to warm her cold and stiff muscles.

Then, she spied something. She looked and saw a doe a ways away. "Hello!" she greeted. The deer looked up in shock and quickly bounded away in fear. "Hey, wait! I won't…." The doe was gone. "…..hurt you." Tigress cocked her head in confusion.

"Aw, did the little kitty cat lose her breakfast?"

Tigress jumped and looked around.

"You know, you really shouldn't shout at your meals; that's how they escape so easily."

Tigress looked down and saw a gardener snake. "What do you mean?"

The snake looked at the cat up and down. "How strange. I've never seen a predator like you so close to town, and wearing clothes!"

"My name is Master Tigress." The feline introduced. "Who are you?"

"Master Tigress?" the snake asked. His eyes widened. "Oh, I see. You're not from here." He laughed. "Good luck out there!" He slithered off. "Dead tiger walking!" he shouted.

Tigress growled. "Stupid snake."

Suddenly, her ears perked up. Her hand shot up to catch an arrow before it could pierce her face. She snarled as more arrows went flying. She leaped away as they harmlessly struck the ground.

"Master Chao!" she shouted. "Wake up!"

The lizard bolted upright. "What happened?"

"We're being attack!" Tigress snapped.

Chao jumped to his feet, fully awake. The two of them dodged and blocked the countless arrows that flew towards them.

"This way!" Chao shouted. "To the city!"

"What?" Tigress cried.

"Trust me!" Chao ordered. He took off through the forest. Tigress was right on his heels. They still had to dodge the arrows that came close to hitting them. They suddenly burst through the trees and out into the open, tumbling down the hill and landing in a heap at the bottom. The arrows stopped. The two masters looked towards the trees, but their attacker (or attackers) could not be seen.

"That was too close." Chao panted.

"No kidding." Tigress said.

"You two alright?"

They spun around to see two teenagers come help them. Tigress expected them to run at the sight of a tiger, but the humans seemed ok with the face that there was a giant feline in front of them.

"You guys look like you had seen a ghost." One teen said. "Something wrong?"

"No, we're fine." Chao assured.

"We were just hiking and slipped." Tigress added.

"That hill can be pretty tricky." The other teen laughed. "Well, take care!" The teenagers ran off.

"You'd think they'd run at the sight of you." Chao commented.

"Yeah." Tigress agreed. "Maybe we should find Shifu and Siren."

"Found them." Chao said, pointing. The human girl and red panda were far ahead of them. Chao and Tigress ran forward as fast as they could, calling for them to stop.

Siren was surprised to see them. "What are you two doing here?"

"Someone attacked us in the woods." Chao explained. "We didn't see who it was."

"And when we came here, these two kids came up." Tigress said.

"They didn't freak out?" Siren guessed. Tigress and Chao nodded. "Take a look." Siren gestured to a car window nearby. Chao and Tigress looked and each had similar reactions to Shifu.

Tigress's human form had pale skin. Her hair was cut short cropped style and orange like her fur. It was even streaked with black. She still wore her black pants and red vest. Her canines were especially sharp. Her irises were still the same color her normal eyes were. Chao kept his normal clothes as well. He had tanned skin and short, orange/brown hair identical to the color of his scales. His eyes were light blue with a tinge of yellow and orange.

"Well, that's probably one of the most surprising things in my life." Chao commented.

"I look weird." Tigress said. "And I'm a little cold."

"That's because you don't have your fur anymore." Siren smiled. "Just a heads up: that'll happen a lot."

"This is very strange." Chao couldn't stop staring at his reflection.

Siren rolled her eyes. "Look, this'll work for us. I still see you all as a lizard, a tiger, and a red panda. Everyone else sees you as humans. The only thing I'm concerned about is how you're going to fit in with the modern city."

"I think we'll be fine." Shifu assured.

Siren nodded. "Yeah, hold on to that thought."

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR _

Siren led the group to a small train station and somehow managed to sneak them onto the train. Siren felt like she was a mother with a trio of three-year-olds. Shifu kept holding his ears against his skull to block out the noise; he couldn't hear Siren calling for him, so she had to steer him around by the shoulder. Tigress was so freaked out by the noise _and _the crowds of people that she was practically clinging to Siren. Chao almost jumped down onto the train tracks and Siren had to yank him backwards before he could be hit by a train. Siren could only imagine what the people around her were thinking. To them, they were seeing a teenager with three other adults acting like they'd never seen a train station.

Oh wait….

It got worse when they reached the farmer's market. The streets were crowded with people and there was still a lot of noise. What made it even worse was that Siren couldn't find anyone that she recognized. That's when she realized that she had been gone for almost ten years. Most of the people she knew were who knows where.

Eventually, they left the market, walked up the street a ways, and sat down on a bench. Siren had some money in her pocket and bought them all breakfast.

"This is so bad." Tigress sighed.

"I'm sorry, guys." Siren pinched the bridge of her nose. "I should've thought about that."

"Relax." Chao assured. "Just think: where is a sure spot we can find someone you know?"

"Maybe my old school." Siren shrugged. "It's far, but we can catch a train again."

"Please spare us that." Shifu groaned. He finished his apple and threw it into the air, aiming for a trash can nearby. A kid jumped and hit the fruit away, laughing as he walked off.

"Jerk." Tigress muttered. Shifu stood and walked over to pick up the fruit in the street. He tossed it in the trash.

Suddenly, another kid came running by, pushing Shifu aside and sending him rolling into the road. "Watch it, gramps!" the kid shouted. Shifu opened his mouth to yell at the teenage boy, but a loud noise made him stop. He spun around and his eyes widened.

A large bus was heading right towards him.

"Shifu!" Siren screamed.


	7. Ch 7 A Friend At Last

**Chapter Seven- A Friend At Last**

Shifu suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around his body and lift him into the air. He felt someone hug him to their chest as the two of them rolled away. The bus kept going down the road.

Siren, Tigress, and Chao ran up to Shifu and his rescuer.

"For the love of Buddha, Shifu you could've been killed!" Siren cried.

"It's not my fault, Siren!" Shifu growled as he stood. "Some idiot shoved me into the path of that metal-"

"Siren?"

The four warriors looked towards Shifu's rescuer. It was a human girl with dark skin like chocolate. Her black hair that was visible was in dozens of cornrow braids. The rest of her hair was covered in a blue beanie hat. She wore a long white skirt and a light blue tank. She looked the same age as Siren.

The human mentioned was staring at the girl in shock. The two human girls stood face to face for a long time.

"Cy?" the African asked.

"Li?" Siren asked. "Anuli?"

"Oh my gosh!" the African girl squealed. Siren and the girl, Anuli, hugged and squealed like little girls.

"And I thought the station was bad." Shifu cringed. Chao cleared his throat. Anuli and Siren turned, still smiling.

"I've found our ally." Siren smiled. "Everyone, this is Anuli. My best friend in the whole world." Siren turned to her friend. "Anuli, these are Masters Shifu, Tigress, and Chao."

"Masters?" Anuli cocked her head. She was staring at the masters before her, especially Tigress.

"In kung fu." Siren explained.

"How do a tiger, lizard, and red panda know kung fu?" Anuli asked.

Siren stared. "You see them as that?"

"Yeah." Anuli nodded.

Siren looked around. "Anuli, it's a long story and we need help." The African Chinese looked around.

"Follow me." She ordered. She led the group through the city and back into the forest. They had to take two more trains to get there. It was a little more bearable, but Tigress actually got motion sickness. Anuli was quick to get everyone into the forest and the fresh air. They kept going, following a trail up into the hills. They arrived at a small neighborhood and kept walking until they reached the house at the end of the road. Anuli took some keys from her pocket and opened the door.

"This is my house." Anuli said. "We can hide out in here and you can explain it all to me."

They stepped inside and looked around. The front hall led to the kitchen, a hallway, the living room, and a set of stairs led to a floor above them. Anuli led the group to the kitchen and gestured for them to sit down.

"Can I get you guys something to eat?" Anuli asked. "Anything to drink?"

"Tea?" Shifu asked. "For my nerves?"

"For all of our nerves." Tigress added. Anuli nodded and put some water on.

"Ok." Anuli said as she pulled some teacups down from a cabinet. "What's going on? Why haven't I seen you in ten years and why are you hanging out with anthropomorphic animals?"

"You have to trust me." Siren said. "No matter what I say, you have to believe me." Anuli nodded, pulling tea from a shelf. "Ok, when I disappeared when I was seven, I went to a whole different world. A world where everyone is an animal, literally. There are no humans. I was pretty much the only one." Anuli stared, but she could see the seriousness in Siren's eyes.

"Ok." Anuli sighed. "Keep going."

Siren continued her story. She told Anuli about what she could remember from her adoptive father's arrest and finding her birth father, Chao. She told Anuli about her life in the Jade Palace, living alongside the creator of kung fu and his students. She told Anuli about her life in Ziben, tracking Jiao-long, the battle with the Komodo dragon, all leading up to how they had gotten to the human world through the Moon Pool. She only paused when the teapot began to whistle and Anuli served the tea.

"So you're looking for a way home and trying to find your fox friend Junjie?" Anuli concluded.

"Yeah." Shifu nodded. "Preferably find the fox first."

Anuli made a noise that sounded like a scoff/laugh hybrid. She looked overwhelmed by the information. "This is so whacked out."

"I know." Siren agreed. "That's why we need help."

"How can _I _help?" Anuli asked.

"We haven't worked that out yet." Tigress admitted.

"Right now, we need allies." Shifu explained. "We don't have any idea where Junjie or that wolf might be."

"You've always been good at deducing and stuff." Siren told Anuli. "You were one of the smartest kids in school."

Anuli smiled. "Always was. Recently graduated high school with honors."

"See?" Siren was smiling, too. "I know you can help us."

Anuli sighed. She stood and walked to a kitchen drawer. She pulled out a pad of paper and a pen before returning to her seat. "So what do we know?"

"Junjie and the wolf came through the portal like we did." Shifu said.

"Any tracks to lead where they went?" Anuli asked.

"We didn't really look." Chao said. "We were too shocked by the fact that we were in the human world."

Anuli nodded. "We'll have to go back to that river tomorrow and see if anything can be found. Let's focus on Junjie and that wolf. If you were them and you had just been through what they had, what would you do?"

"What if the two of them went back to fighting?" Siren suggested.

"Let's take out the fighting scenario for now." Anuli said. "Let's say they ended up unconscious and they managed to get away. Where would they go? What would they do?"

"We don't know enough about the wolf." Tigress said. "Except that he's utterly stupid for breaking into the palace."

"There's a connection between him and the cat that burned the barracks." Shifu said. "We know that."

"Junjie's not stupid." Chao said. "He's good at survival skills."

"He'd walk around a bit." Siren added. "He'd try and figure out his environment to better his chance of survival."

Anuli scribbled on the notepad. "Good. That's good. How long do you think he's been here?"

"At least a day." Shifu answered.

"Will he go into the city?" Anuli asked.

"For food, most likely." Siren nodded.

"Then there's a good chance he knows that all the humans here see him as a human." Anuli said. "We could always ask around, but we need to figure out how Junjie would look as a human." She stood and ran out of the room. When she returned, she had a mirror in her hand. She faced it towards Tigress, looking at the tiger's human reflection. She jotted down some notes in her book. She looked at Shifu's and Chao's human reflections, taking notes.

"What's the deal?" Siren asked.

"Your human forms seem to carry traits of your animal forms." Anuli said. "For example, Shifu and Tigress here have hair color like their fur. Chao has hair the same color of his scales. All of you have the same eye color."

"So Junjie and the wolf's human forms would have hair color like their fur and the same eyes." Shifu guessed.

"And the same clothes." Anuli said. "All of you are in the exact same outfits you were in when you came here. Can you tell me what they were wearing? Every detail?" Everyone looked towards Shifu, who described the wolf and Junjie's outfits. Anuli turned the page of her notebook and started drawing. She ran to get some colored pencils. She started scribbling, biting her lip in concentration. When she was done, she showed her work.

One drawing was a human in Junjie's clothes. His hair was bright orange like fox fur and he had Junjie's eyes. The other drawing had the wolf's clothing with the wolf's black hair. But his eyes were uncolored.

"That looks about right." Shifu said. "What about the wolf's eyes?"

"Did you see them?" Anuli asked.

"If I did, I can't remember." Shifu answered.

"I can't draw what I didn't see or what you didn't see." Anuli said.

"Touché." Siren said.

Shifu gave her a look. "So what are our next steps?"

"We go back to the river bank." Anuli said. "Find any clues like tracks."

"Good plan." Chao said. "You're smart."

Anuli smirked with pride. "I try. Why we find someplace for you guys to sleep and I'll make dinner?" Anuli stood and motioned for the others to follow her. They walked up the stairs and down a hall. Anuli opened a door to show a spare bedroom. All that was in there were a bed, a closet, a dresser, and a vanity with a mirror.

"Spare bedroom here." Anuli said. She knocked on a door next to the room. "Another one's here. My parents' room is down there." She pointed at the door at the end of the door and then opened the door across from the spare bedrooms. "My room's here. Two of us will have to pair up in my parents' room."

"Will your parents mind?" Tigress asked.

"Of course not." Anuli assured as she walked back towards the kitchen. "They've been gone for a long time." She disappeared around a corner before she could be asked what she meant.

"That's odd." Shifu said.

"We can ask later." Siren assured. "We've got bigger problems."

"Like what?" Chao asked.

"Who's pairing up to share a room?" Siren asked.


	8. Ch 8 Searching

**Chapter Eight- Searching**

Turns out, Anuli was more than welcome to share her parents' room with Siren. The two of them had been like sisters for a long time, so it wouldn't be awkward or anything. Thankfully for Tigress, who would be sleeping in Anuli's room, she wouldn't be stuck being in a room full of pink. Anuli was a hardcore tomboy, like Tigress.

"You know kung fu?" Tigress asked at dinner that night.

"My dad taught me." Anuli said as she served her guests. "My mom taught me a little, too, but she was actually a doctor."

"Really?" Shifu asked. "That's great."

"She was awesome." Siren said. "I remember her when I was little. She always had snacks or treats in the house."

"Her cakes and cookies were amazing." Anuli nodded.

"Your cooking is just as great." Siren said. "This is awesome." Anuli had cooked congee with beets mixed in and West African Cabbage and Pineapple Salad without the dressing, an African dish.

"What do you know?" Tigress said. "You _can _mix beets into congee."

"What?" Anuli asked.

"Don't ask." Tigress waved it off.

"I always loved how your parents made multicultural meals." Siren said. "Mix of Chinese and African? Genius!"

"It helps when both parents can cook." Anuli said.

"What did you mean by your parents have been gone for a long time?" Chao asked. "If I may ask, of course."

"Sure." Anuli nodded. "They went on a hiking trip and never came back."

Most of the dinner guests almost choked. They stared at Anuli in shock. Not only because her parents were supposedly dead, but because she had said it so bluntly you'd think she was talking about the weather.

"When was this?" Shifu asked.

"Five or six years ago." Anuli shrugged. "Been taking care of myself for years."

"Do you miss them?" Tigress asked.

"They're not dead." Anuli assured. "The police never found their bodies. They're still out there, and I know they'll come back."

"Why were they hiking?" Shifu asked.

"Don't know." Anuli said. "I remember they were arguing about something. Often every night. Dad went out first. When he didn't come back, Mom followed. Haven't seen them since." She took a bite of her salad. "You think I should've put the dressing on this?"

"No way." Siren shook her head. "It's perfect."

"Absolutely." Tigress agreed. "Po would really have some competition."

"Who's Po?" Anuli asked.

"The Dragon Warrior." Shifu explained. Anuli gave him a confused look, and that led into the conversation about the residents of the Jade Palace, especially Po.

After dinner, everyone split off into their respective rooms for bed. Anuli was the last to go to bed because she was washing the dishes. Siren was lying on her side, and Anuli was careful to try and not wake her.

"I'm awake." Siren said.

Anuli rolled her eyes and crawled into her parents' bed. "You should get to sleep. We've got a busy day tomorrow."

Siren nodded. "Anuli, you don't seem too upset that your parents might be dead."

"Cy, you know I'm not one to show my feelings." Anuli said. "I can't let anyone know how I feel."

"Why's that, Li?" Siren asked, using her friend's childhood nickname. "Why are you so afraid to wear your heart on your sleeve?"

"Because I can't stand for people to think I'm weak." Anuli said. "You know how I am."

"I know." Siren nodded. "But you can't be afraid of that."

Anuli sighed. "Find something more important to worry about."

Siren turned over and smiled at her friend. She took Anuli's hand and gave it a squeeze. "You haven't changed a bit, Li."

Anuli returned the squeeze. "You haven't changed either, Cy."

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

"You sure it was here?" Anuli asked.

"Positive." Chao said. "Our campsite is just over there."

Anuli looked around. "There aren't any tracks that I can see of. No fox or wolf tracks, at least."

"Weird." Siren said.

"Maybe the river tide washed them away." Shifu suggested.

"There really isn't a tide." Anuli said. She kneeled down and inspected the sand. "But something wiped away the tracks. I can see it."

Shifu knelt down beside her. Sure enough, the sand looked like a broom had been taken to it. "Now what?"

Anuli stood and looked around. "No blood or signs of a struggle. My guess is that the two of them split off."

"Where does that leave us?" Siren asked.

"I say we go into town." Tigress said. "They both need to eat, and there aren't any fruit trees or berry bushes out here."

"We'll check the farmer's market." Anuli said. "If Junjie or the wolf doesn't have money, they'd target areas that are crowded so they can swipe some food."

"Good rationale." Tigress nodded. "Impressive." Anuli looked quite proud as she led the group to their destination. The masters had finally been able to get on a train without being sick or getting overwhelmed. At the farmer's market, they asked around about a human with Junjie's traits. Unfortunately, nobody had seen someone like that. Nobody reported missing food, either. However, one lady told them she saw a human with clothing like the wolf's; he had been running and almost pushed her to the ground.

"Then he took off without even a 'Sorry'." The woman had scoffed. "How rude."

"If that was the wolf and he was running, he may have been chased." Anuli said.

"Could've been Junjie." Chao said.

"Maybe." Shifu agreed. He looked around him, but couldn't see the fox or the wolf. "Where would they go? Surely not deeper into the city."

"Who knows?" Siren said.

Anuli stared off in the direction of the city. "Maybe they would go into the city. The wolf probably needs allies as well, and Junjie will most likely track him. What do you think?"

"Sounds like Junjie." Shifu said. "Always first to run into the action. Chao can tell you all about it." Shifu turned to said lizard, but he was gone. "Chao?"

"Dad?" Siren spun around. "Where'd he go?"

"There!" Tigress pointed. Sure enough, the desert monitor was running away from them, his head barely visible in the crowd. The group ran after him, calling his name.

Chao didn't seem to hear. He was too focused on a human far ahead of him. _It's her. _he thought. _It has to be her. _He kept his eye on the human as he desperately tried to catch up with her. His eyes were glued to her long, obsidian hair.

"Look out!"

Chao suddenly went flying as a bicyclist slammed into him.

"What is it with you guys and bicycles?" Anuli half-laughed, half-cried with shock.

They managed to reach Chao and helped him to his feet. The bicyclist apologized a couple times before taking off.

"Are you crazy?" Shifu snapped. "You can't take off like that."

"Sorry." Chao wasn't paying attention. "But I thought I saw-" He looked around, but the human was gone. "She's gone."

"Who's gone?" Siren asked.

Chao sighed. "Ren. I thought I saw Ren."

"Siren's mom?" Anuli asked. "She was in a car crash ten years ago."

"I know it was her." Chao assured. "I saw her hair; it's the same length, color, and everything."

Siren sighed this time. "Dad, listen, you can't—OW!"

Siren tumbled to the ground.

"Sorry about that." Someone said in a gruff voice.

"No problem." Siren groaned. "Just watch where-" Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

A black wolf stood before her.

"You!" Shifu growled.

The wolf snarled and ran off. The group ran after him. They pursued the large canine through the city, dodging people and cars. The wolf was only ten feet ahead of them the entire way. Tigress suddenly leaped up onto the awnings of a café and managed to get ahead of the wolf. She snarled threateningly, but the wolf only made a 90 degree turn and darted across the street via crosswalk. Tigress was right on the wolf's tail. The others tried to follow, but only Anuli and Shifu got across before cars started speeding across the road, blocking the others' route.

"What do we do?" Chao asked.

"We wait for a clearing and run." Siren said. Unfortunately, a pause in the traffic didn't come for a few minutes, and they had to sprint to get across unharmed. They kept running.

Tigress could almost touch the wolf's tail. She put on a burst of energy, but he was still just out of reach. The wolf suddenly rounded a corner and ran into an abandoned apartment building. Tigress was right behind him. Shifu and Anuli got to the door when the young African girl stopped.

"You go ahead." She instructed, panting slightly. "I'll wait for Siren and Chao. Just help Tigress!" Shifu nodded and ran inside.

Through the door was a hallway with stairs leading up to the rooms. A few other doors were down the hall leading to offices and a large kitchen. Shifu heard fighting upstairs and took them two at a time. He went up one flight of stairs, then another, and spied the tip of Tigress' tail disappear on the next floor. He only got halfway up the stairs when he heard a voice.

"Such a strong little feline." The voice chuckled. "Shifu taught you well."

Shifu froze on the steps, listening.

"What do you want with my master?" Tigress snarled.

The voice laughed lightly. It was obviously a woman, not the wolf. Shifu had a bad feeling that he knew who she was.

"My dear, I know more about Shifu than you could ever imagine." The woman said smugly. "The secrets I know would destroy you…..and him."

Tigress hissed threateningly. "Stay. _Away. _From. Him."

Shifu slowly slid up a few more steps to peer over the edge. He stifled a growl when he saw Tigress facing not the burly black wolf, but a slender panther wearing red pants, a red shirt that showed her stomach, and a fiery orange sash that went around her waist and over her shoulder. A staff with an orb on top was in her hand.

"I can't do that." The panther sneered. "I'm afraid your master has stolen something very precious from me. And now he must pay the price….with his life." The panther twirled her staff. "You can either stand aside so I can bring justice to him, or the two of you can die in this building." She looked past Tigress. "I know you're here, you little rat."

Shifu stood and glared hard. In a flash, the panther jutted her staff forward. A fireball shot out of the orb. Tigress was quick to shift on her feet and tackle Shifu, sending them flying to the side while the fireball exploded behind them. Immediately, the wall was engulfed with flames. Shifu and Tigress jumped to their feet, but the panther was gone. The fire was quickly spreading down the hall and the stairs.

"I'm gonna kill her when I see her." Tigress growled.

"Let's get out of here, first!" Shifu urged. They rushed towards the stairs, but skidded to a halt when they saw the steps mostly in flames. The floor the steps led to was burning. Shifu jumped onto the railing and slid to the bottom, landing softly on wood that wasn't burning. Tigress followed his lead. They ran to the next set of stairs, dodging flames and burning chunks of the ceiling threatening to crush them. They made it down the second flight of stairs, only to be forced to their knees to avoid another fireball. The panther jumped towards them with a snarl and swung her staff around. Shifu blocked her attack with his own staff as Tigress aimed a kick for the panther's head. The black feline was quick to block her strike and send both Tigress and Shifu flying in separate directions.

Anuli could only watch in horror as the building before her kept burning and smoking. She held her cell phone close to her ear. "Please tell me they're coming!" she cried.

"The fire squad will be there soon." The woman on the other end of the line said. "Just stay with me until then. Are you in the building?"

"No, I'm outside." Anuli said.

"Good, stay outside and stay away from the building." The woman instructed. "Something could fall on you."

Anuli nodded, trying to keep calm. Suddenly, she heard the wail of a fire truck's siren, and said truck came around the corner. Chao and his daughter were running along the sidewalk. Anuli thanked the woman on the line and hung up, running to meet her friends.

"What happened?" Siren was staring at the building in flames. "Where are Shifu and Tigress?"

"As far as I know, still in there." Anuli said, pointing at the building.

"Then we've got to help them!" Siren cried.

"No, let the firemen do that." Anuli said. "They'll be fine." Siren kept staring at the building, hoping to see her friends alive.

Shifu grunted in pain as he was thrown through a glass door. The panther took Tigress by the throat and threw her into the stairs, pinning her there with Oogway's staff. Shifu stood and grabbed a shard of glass, ignoring the pain from the scratches in his arms. He flung the shard like a shuriken. The panther noticed the glass and raised her own staff to deflect it. Her grip loosened enough for Tigress to take a hold of Oogway's staff and wrench it from the panther's grip. Tigress swung the wood towards the panther, who simply back flipped over a fire and took off. Shifu and Tigress were close behind. But when they reached the stairs, Shifu had to jump back quickly to avoid a shower of burning wood. His escape was cut off. Tigress turned to help, but he waved her away.

"Get outside!" he ordered. "I'll find another way!" He took off before Tigress could protest. She hesitated slightly before a beam fell near her, spooking her enough to run out the front door. She coughed as clean air suddenly forced its way into her lungs. She stumbled a little, but a fireman took her arm and helped her move to the side. She was guided to an ambulance and sat down. One of the attendants tried to put a mask on her, but she resisted.

"Tigress, calm down." Anuli was suddenly at her side. "Just let them help." Tigress looked suspicious, but allowed the mask to be put over her mouth and nose.

"Just breathe." The attendant instructed. "You'll be fine." He jogged off to help his friend.

"What is this?" Tigress asked.

"An oxygen mask." Anuli explained as Chao and Siren came over. "It'll get that smoke out of your lungs."

"Where's Shifu?" Chao asked. He eyed Oogway's staff, still in Tigress's paws. Tigress only looked towards the building; the flames were getting bigger.

Shifu coughed violently as he kept breathing smoke instead of air. _I'm really getting tired of this. _He thought. He looked for any windows or any way to escape, but all he could see was smoke and flames, looking like they were going to swallow him whole. Shifu kept going, desperately searching for an opening in the fire's defenses. He coughed again in his sleeve, his vision blurring. Suddenly, a section of the wall next to him started falling. He jumped away as it came crumbling down with a groan. A cloud of ash and dust flew into Shifu's face and further impaired his vision. He coughed hard, trying to rid himself of the ash. The heat from the fires and the adrenaline was sucking away his energy with each passing second. He forced himself to his feet and kept walking.

He spied something in the smoke: a figure making its way towards him. He stood ready to fight, but his limbs felt heavy.

"Shifu?"

He paused, listening.

"Shifu, is that you?"

Shifu was so relieved he almost collapsed. "Here…." He croaked.

Anuli suddenly burst from the flames, coughing a little. She was by Shifu's side in seconds, supporting him. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." Shifu coughed. "We have to get out of here."

Anuli nodded in understanding. Suddenly, a beam fell down in front of them. They coughed as ash flew into their faces. Anuli could see Shifu struggling to stand. She tore her beanie hat off her head and put it over his mouth and nose, keeping the ash out. Shifu looked up wearily to thank her, but something caught his eyes. He stared at Anuli with shock.

"You're a cat?" he exclaimed.

Anuli frowned, her pointed animal ears flattening against her head in annoyance. "I'm a _fox_."

Shifu's ears dipped. "Oh." Anuli rolled her eyes and pulled Shifu along as they ran through the flames. Shifu's vision was disoriented and he felt light-headed, but he swore that if he looked close enough, he could see Anuli…._controlling _the fire?

Anuli felt Shifu lagging behind as she pulled him along. _Don't stop. _She thought. _We're almost there. _But Shifu suddenly went limp and fell to the ground. Anuli put her cap on her head and gathered Shifu in her arms, holding him like a child. She ran straight towards the open door and jumped through into the sunlight. A couple firemen led her to the ambulance. Siren, Chao, and Tigress were still there. Siren was the first to rush over to her friend.

"You are the craziest person I've ever met!" Siren snapped.

Anuli laughed. "That's my specialty."

Siren shook her head, but her expression went to pure horror when Anuli laid an unconscious Shifu onto one of the gurneys. "What happened to him?"

Anuli didn't answer. She put her head towards his mouth and then placed her hand on his neck. "Breathing with a pulse. Good." She turned to the ambulance. "Can I get some help over here?" An attendant jogged over. His eyes widened when he saw Shifu.

"He's breathing with a pulse." Anuli reported. "But he passed out while we were in there."

"We'll take him to the hospital." The attendant said.

Anuli took his arm. "That may not be a good idea." She whispered to him.

"Anuli, if you're worried about money, then don't." the attendant said. "Your mother has done so much for the hospital; let us pay her back." Anuli smiled and nodded. The attendant lifted the gurney into the vehicle. Siren came forward, looking scared.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Siren, relax." Anuli said. "They're taking him to the hospital; he'll be fine."

"I'm going with him." Siren said.

"Siren—"

"I won't leave him." Siren growled. Anuli stared, and then sighed.

"Stay with him." Anuli said. "And no matter what happens, you can't freak out. Let the doctors do their work and don't interrupt by any means necessary. We'll meet at the hospital." Siren nodded and jumped into the ambulance. The attendant shut the doors and the vehicle sped off. Siren sat down on a chair in the car and stared at Shifu with emotionless eyes.

**A/N: How's that for a cliffhanger? Think you guys can repay me with some reviewing? No pressure, of course. **


	9. Ch 9 Hope From the Hospital

**Chapter Nine- Hope from the Hospital**

"Where are they going?" Tigress demanded.

"To the hospital where my mom worked." Anuli said. "Come on." She walked in the direction the ambulance went. "We'll meet up with Siren there."

"Will Shifu be alright?" Chao asked.

"He should be fine." Anuli nodded.

"How can you be sure?" Tigress asked. Anuli turned and glared hard. Her dark eyes bore into Tigress's fiery orbs.

"You wanted an ally." Anuli said. "You've got one. Now what I need is for you to trust me. Can I humbly ask for you to do so?"

Tigress held the glare before sighing. "For saving Shifu, of course."

Siren followed the ambulance attendants through the doors of a large building she could only assume was the hospital. But a woman suddenly stopped her before she could follow Shifu down the hall.

"Sweetheart, I need you to stay here." The woman said calmly.

"You don't understand, I have to stay with him!" Siren said, still staring after the attendants getting farther and farther away.

"Miss, listen to me." The woman said. "He'll be fine. I just need you to stay here and we'll come get you when he's stable, alright?"

Siren tensed up, wanting to run past the woman. But Anuli's voice rang through her head: _Don't interrupt by any means necessary. _Siren sighed. "My name is Siren. That's my grandfather, Shifu. Please come get me the moment I can see him." Siren turned and walked to the waiting room nearby. She slowly slid into a chair, staring at the ground. She didn't know what else to do after that. She looked around the room and saw many people, old and young, waiting until someone wearing white came to take them further into the building. Two TVs were there: one on the wall opposite of her, showing a baseball game, the other in a children's area, playing a toddler's show. Siren rummaged through the magazines from the table next to her, but none looked interesting. She drew her knees in and sighed.

It seemed like hours before a young woman wearing a white dress came out and called for the human's name. She smiled when Siren came to her.

"Follow me, please." The nurse said. Siren wordlessly obeyed as the woman led her down the hallway, up to the second floor via elevator, and down another hallway. They stopped outside a door and the nurse knocked. A voice inside invited them in. Siren was close behind the nurse as they walked into the room. Siren peered around the room. There wasn't much, but a lot didn't make sense. A large window was on the wall opposite of her, with a small couch beneath it. In front of the couch was a hospital bed. Siren stared at Shifu's still form that rested upon it. He wore a white hospital robe, and his old clothes were folded neatly on the couch. A needle was in his hand, connecting it to a bottle of clear liquid above him. A box on a stand was next to the bottle, beeping now and then. A cord connected to the box was attached to a band around Shifu's wrist.

Siren walked over and stood next to the bed. She gazed upon her master's still form, noting how peaceful he looked.

"He should be alright." The elderly nurse before her said. "The doctor wants to keep him overnight and check up on him tomorrow."

Siren nodded and bowed. "Thank you." The nurses bowed back and left. Siren returned her gaze towards Shifu. She sighed and sat down on the couch. Then she chuckled. "How many times are you going to face death before you actually die?"

Anuli, Chao, and Tigress arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later. All the nurses and doctors at the hospital greeted Anuli warmly.

"So many people know you." Chao said in wonder.

"Yeah, Mom was pretty popular." Anuli said. "Very famous and very nice. Everyone loved her."

Tigress peered in the rooms they passed as they went through the hall. The ages of the patients ranged from young toddlers to extremely elderly. "The hospitals back home don't look anything like this. Everything's so different."

"Is it hard to adjust?" Anuli asked. "I really want you guys to be comfortable until we can get you home."

"As warriors, we are trained to adapt to our surroundings to benefit ourselves and others." Chao said in a masterful tone.

Anuli smiled. She spied the right door and knocked. Siren looked up and saw her friend in the window. She motioned for her to enter. Anuli led Tigress and Chao inside. Tigress's eyes widened at the sight of her master, but before she could speak, Anuli stepped in front of her.

"Before you guys freak out, let me explain what's happening." Anuli said. Chao and Tigress nodded, but still looked a little freaked out. Anuli was quick to explain the IV drip, the heart monitor, etc. Once she was done, her comrades were calm.

"So he'll be alright?" Chao asked.

"The nurse said the doctor wants to keep him overnight and check on him tomorrow." Siren said. "But until he wakes up, we won't know."

Tigress found a chair and pulled it beside the bed. She stared at her surrogate father's tranquil form. She was tempted to reach out and smooth his ruffled fur, but she couldn't bring herself to show such emotion. She just stared at him while she listened to Anuli, Siren, and Chao's conversation.

"Once we get him out of the hospital, we're going straight home." Anuli said. "We need a solid plan; a plan that will keep all of you safe, especially Shifu. And we need to find Junjie."

"There's something odd about this wolf." Chao said.

"It's not a wolf." Tigress said. "It's a panther. A sorceress with immense power. And she knows Shifu very well."

"All the more reason to keep him in the house." Siren said.

"He's not going to like that." Chao noted. "He hates being cooped up in one place."

"It's for his own safety." Siren insisted. Anuli hushed them as a doctor came in. He was about middle-aged, with salt-and-pepper hair that was more on the salt side. His eyes were bright hazel and his skin was tanned, like he had been sunbathing recently. He wore jeans and a blue T-shirt under his white doctor's coat. A stethoscope hung around his neck and a clipboard was in his hands.

"And how's our fire survivor doing?" he asked, looking at his clipboard.

"He seems alright." Anuli said. "His temperature and heart rate are normal. The scratches on his arms have been bandaged and cleaned for infections. No morphine was needed, so I'm assuming he doesn't have internal damage, unless his lungs are still full of smoke." Chao, Tigress, and Siren stared at Anuli in shock, amazed by how professional she sounded.

The doctor looked up and smiled. "Anuli. I should've known." He and Anuli laughed and hugged.

"It's good to see you, Dr. Bán." Anuli smiled broadly.

Dr. Bán chuckled. He walked over to Shifu and put the stethoscope on his chest, then on his side near his lungs. "Seems to be clear of the smoke and ash. Heart rate is normal. No burns were found. The only thing I'm really concerned about is the cuts on his arm. Must've hit a window or something to get out."

"Did you manage to get all the glass out?" Anuli asked.

"Yep." Dr. Bán said. "We'll redress the wound tomorrow before he leaves. I would recommend just rest and recuperation. His wounds will need to be redressed every week for a month at the most. Apart from that, he'll make a full recovery. I'm surprised, really. No offense, but he seems pretty old, and he survived the blood loss and all the smoke in his system." He laughed and shook his head. "It's pretty amazing." His eyes suddenly widened when he saw Siren. "Ren? Is that you?"

Siren cocked her head to one side. "What?"

"You're Ren, aren't you?" Dr. Bán asked. "Ren Jin? You just woke from a coma."

"What?" Siren asked again.

Before Dr. Bán could speak again, the heart rate monitor started beeping at a faster pace. Shifu's fists involuntarily clenched tight. He started gasping. Tigress took his hand in hers and stared with shock when his face twitched like he was in pain.

"What's happening?" Siren demanded.

Dr. Bán looked confused and scared. "I don't know. He could be going into cardiac arrest!" He ran to a box on the wall and pulled out a defibrillator.

Anuli raised her hand to stop him. "Wait." She stared at Shifu for a second before walking around to Shifu's side. She suddenly raised her hand again and slapped Shifu across the face. The elder master bolted upright with a startled gasp. He panted slightly before rubbing his cheek and glaring at Anuli.

"Ouch." He growled.

Anuli smirked. "Sorry. Couldn't think of another way to wake you up."

Dr. Bán put the defibrillator back and walked back to Shifu's side. He checked the heart rate monitor and then moved to check Shifu's heart with the stethoscope. Shifu was initially resistant, but allowed Dr. Bán to check him with assurance from Anuli.

"Well that was odd." Dr. Bán said.

"It was just a bad dream." Anuli assured.

"That was one bad dream." Dr. Bán scoffed. "You really gave us a heart attack."

"He's good at that." Siren laughed.

Dr. Bán redirected his attention to Siren. "So you're not Ren?"

"That's my mother's name." Siren answered.

"Well, that explains a lot." Dr. Bán chuckled. "You look just like her."

"Wait, what did you mean by 'just woke up from a coma'?" Anuli asked.

Dr. Bán looked at each of the people in front of him and sighed. "I'm assuming you're Ren's family?"

"I'm her husband." Chao said.

Dr. Bán gave a strange sigh of relief. "I'm glad. I knew she had married someone right."

"How do you know my mother?" Siren asked.

"She was here for a long time." Dr. Bán explained. "You might want to sit down; it's a long story." Tigress, Siren, and Chao sat on the couch and Dr. Bán wheeled the chair around and sat on it before beginning his story.

"She was rushed into the ER along with her ex-husband and daughter." Dr. Bán told them. "The husband had a broken leg, a slight skull fracture, and some serious gashes on his arms and shoulders. Siren had a concussion. Ren wasn't injured too badly, but she went into a coma. We put her on life support at the request of Anuli's mother. She held out pretty well, but still wouldn't wake up. Very few people in the hospital voted that she should be allowed to pass on; in fact, I can't think of anyone that really wanted her to die. You were so young, Siren, and nobody wanted you to grow up without a mother. But our CEO told us that, for the sake of money and resources, Ren would have to be taken off life support."

"But you said she woke up." Tigress reminded him.

"That's the weird thing." Dr. Bán said. "We took her off life support. Everyone was upset about it. But when we took her off, her heart rate never stopped. She kept breathing. We were all so amazed. We didn't have to give her an IV drip or anything like that. But she still wouldn't wake up. So we set up a room just for her and let her rest.

"Three days ago, Ren woke up. She had been asleep for almost ten years and was perfectly healthy; just confused. All she could tell us was she only remembered the car crash and then just waking up right then. She acted like she had been asleep for only a few minutes, not a decade. We kept her in the hospital for a day and then let her go. I personally let her know that she could stay with me if she didn't have a home, but I haven't seen her since. I can't decide if it's supposed to reassure me or not."

Everyone was shocked silent. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Dr. Bán noticed this and nodded in understanding. "I can see this is a shock. I'll leave you be." He gestured to Shifu. "We'll keep him here for a night and give him a check-up tomorrow. Then he should be able to go home. You're all welcome to remain here for the night. In fact, I'd recommend at least one of you staying." He stood and walked out. Nobody said a word for a long time.

Siren broke the silence. "My mom is alive."

You'd think she'd said that Lord Shen was alive.


	10. Ch 10 Anuli's Secrets

**Chapter Ten- Anuli's Secrets**

"I told you I saw her." Chao said.

"We have to find her!" Siren urged. "She can come home with us!"

"Whoa, hold up!" Anuli sounded flustered. "Now listen, this is very important information that we can add to our agenda. But we can't just rush around without a plan. Sorry guys, but we really can't afford any more trips to the hospital. That panther sorceress is still out there. We need a solid plan and go from there. Maybe even a day to rest."

Everyone exchanged looks. It wasn't really what they were thinking, but nobody could argue with Anuli's logic. So they nodded in agreement.

"Good." Anuli nodded. "I'll stay with Shifu tonight and bring him home. Let's get you guys back to the house."

"I can take them." Siren offered. "I know the way."

"I need to speak with Anuli alone." Shifu said. It was the first time he had really spoken since the doctor's revelation. Everyone noticed his troubled look and, though they were reluctant to leave him alone, Siren led Chao and Tigress out. Anuli pulled up the chair and sat down.

"What do you want to talk about?" Anuli asked.

Shifu didn't look at her for a while. When he did, his eyes were looking at her hat. "You're a fox."

Anuli looked confused. "What?"

"When you gave me your hat in the fire, I saw something." Shifu said. "You don't have human ears; you have fox ears on your head. And while we were running, you were moving the fire so it wouldn't hit us."

Anuli stared for a moment, then laughed lightly. "Shifu that smoke must've gotten to your brain. You were hallucinating."

"I remember saying, 'You're a cat' and you told me, 'I'm a fox.'" Shifu frowned. "I know what I saw. Now you need to tell me the truth."

"Shifu, it's scientifically impossible for a human to have fox ears." Anuli said.

"Really?" Shifu raised an eyebrow. "Is it also impossible for animals to be masters in kung fu? Is it impossible for a sorceress to exist, and have her be a panther no less?" Anuli suddenly gained interest in the floor. "Anuli, I don't care if you're part fox. I just want to know the truth. I promise I won't ostracize you or call you a freak."

Anuli smiled and took Shifu's hand in hers. "Don't worry about me." She stood and walked over to the couch, relaxing as she read a magazine. "Just get some sleep."

Shifu sighed a little before lying down. He looked out the window, staring at the vast city outside, wondering if the panther was out there, still angry and hungry for revenge. Shifu sighed again and settled down to sleep.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

He ran as fast as he could, dodging arrows that threatened to turn him into a pincushion. His feet barely touched the ground as he sped through the forest. Mice and rabbits on the ground jumped away in fright as he nearly trampled them. But that wasn't on his mind. He was too concerned about the crazy cat lady that was after him.

He knew he had seen that figure change in the Hall of Warriors. It wasn't a wolf at all; it was a panther. And that panther was the reason he fell into the Moon Pool and ended up in this place. Ok, so maybe he was the one that jumped on the cat/wolf's back to stop her from killing Shifu, but does that really mean it was his fault he was in the human world?

Junjie suddenly jumped and scaled a tree to its uppermost branches. He stayed still and silent as the panther stopped beneath his tree. She looked around for a bit before growling in frustration.

"You can't hide forever." She seethed. "I _will _find you, and I _will _kill you for getting in my way." She stalked off into the forest, leaving Junjie alone. The fox waited for a moment until he knew she was gone before climbing down. He sighed and journeyed back towards the city. He walked through the neighborhood, not really having a specific destination in mind. He caught sight of his reflection and stared for a moment. His human form, he discovered, had bright orange hair that was speckled with white. His eyes were still orange, and his clothes and glasses were still there. He kept walking, wondering how he would find his way home. Or how he would find Shifu and the others. Just recently he witnessed Shifu get pulled out of a burning building and then taken to who-knows-where.

Junjie suddenly stopped and hid behind a corner. He peered out and saw Siren, Chao, and Tigress walking down the sidewalk near him. He listened to their conversation as they passed, keeping to the shadows.

"I'm sure we'll find Ren." Tigress sounded assuring. "And we'll bring her home."

"I just hope we can find her soon." Siren sighed. "We only know that she's alive; we have no idea where she could be."

"Then we'll search for her." Chao said firmly. "We _will _find her and bring her home."

Junjie waited until the group had rounded a corner before emerging. "Ren's alive…" he whispered to no one in particular. Suddenly, he knew what to do, and he took off down the street, frowning in determination

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

_He ducked as a flaming chunk of rock soared over his head and crashed into the trees nearby. He kept running up the mountain, but he couldn't remember why. Suddenly, he became aware of two other beings running alongside him. He looked to his right and saw a fox in a blue gi shirt, red pants, and wearing round, black framed glasses. _

"_Junjie, why are we running?" Shifu called. Junjie didn't answer, staring straight ahead. Shifu looked to the being on his left and almost tripped from shock. Running alongside him was a peacock wearing silver robes to match his snow-white plumage. His blood red eyes glittered like rubies. _

"_Lord Shen…" Shifu whispered in shock. Shen was like Junjie, running as fast as he could and looking like he didn't hear Shifu. The aged master kept the same pace with them as they leaped into the air and landed on the top of the mountain. Shifu looked ahead and stared. _

_Standing before the three of them were a raven and a fox. Then, before their eyes, the two animals grew and changed. The raven's legs grew larger and a second pair grew to form front legs. The wings shed feathers as they went enormous, keeping to the raven's back. The raven's beak went from hard bone to the feathered jaws of a monster with sharp, pointed teeth like daggers. Talons extended as the raven reared up like a horse and let out an ear-splitting screech. The fox changed, too. Its body grew bigger and its claws were unsheathed. Fire spewed from its mouth and fur. Both the raven and the fox's eyes glowed red. When the transformation was done, two great beasts, like a demonic fox and raven, stood before Shifu, Junjie, and Shen. The fox shot fire in every direction. The raven blew wind all around, threatening to blow the trio off the mountain._

_Shifu thought about turning and running, but his feet were firmly planted on the ground. He watched as Shen approached the raven beast and Junjie walked to the fox beast. He opened his mouth to stop them, but no words came out. He stared in shock as Junjie and Shen actually started talking to the beasts in front of them. The fire and wind died down and the beasts looked calm. _

_Junjie turned to Shifu. "Wake up, Big Ears!" he snapped. _

Shifu opened his eyes with a sharp gasp. He stared at the wall for a moment before sitting up.

It was the day after he returned from the hospital. That morning, Dr. Bán permitted Anuli to take Shifu home. The second he was home, however, he went straight to bed; had hadn't slept the entire night because the hospital bed wasn't too comfortable. Anuli's guest bed was far more comfortable, and he was asleep in seconds. That same day, Anuli, Shifu, Chao, Siren, and Tigress got together to form a plan. Shifu frantically looked around, then calmed when he saw the books he had been studying on the table nearby. He must've fallen asleep while he was studying last night. Anuli must've put him to bed.

"So motherly." He murmured to himself. Then, a sound reached his ears. He looked towards the door as the sound continued. It sounded like music, but it didn't sound like any instrument he had ever heard of. He stood and silently crept from his room, down the stairs, and to the living room. He peered in and saw Anuli sitting at a large black…thing. Anuli was tapping black and white bars on it; every time she did, a sound rang out. Anuli was singing as she played. Shifu marveled at how beautiful her voice sounded.

When Anuli finished, she sighed with content.

"That was very beautiful."

Anuli jumped and turned to find Shifu right next to her. "How long have you been there?"

"Just a while." Shifu shrugged. He tapped one of the white bars on the instrument. "What is this?"

"It's called a piano." Anuli said. "It's one of my favorite instruments."

"I didn't know you could play." Shifu said as he examined the piano.

"Not many people do." Anuli shrugged. "I also dance a little."

"Really?" Shifu raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well aren't you full of surprises."

Anuli laughed a little. "More like secrets…."

Shifu looked towards Anuli. The young African girl had a sorrowful look in her eyes. He was confused at first, but remembered the strange things he had seen Anuli do. He wanted to comfort her, but Siren's voice stopped him.

"Well, look who's up." she chuckled. "Care to join us?" Shifu turned and smiled. He and Anuli walked away from the piano and joined the others at the table.

"So what's our plan?" Anuli asked.

"Master Chao and I are going back to what's left of the burning building." Tigress said. "We're going to see if the panther maybe left something behind and search for Junjie."

"I'm going to the market." Siren said. "See if Junjie or Mom is there. Plus, we need groceries."

"I thought I told you I would do that." Anuli said.

"Don't worry about it." Siren assured. "You're already doing so much for us. This is a way to thank you."

Anuli sighed. "Alright, but I'm giving you my own money to use."

"What about me?" Shifu asked. "Should I join Siren at the market?"

"You're staying here." Chao said. "That sorceress is still out there, and we can't risk you getting hurt again."

"I think I'll be fine." Shifu protested.

"Shifu, just stay here." Tigress insisted. "I know you hate being cooped up, but it's just safer." Shifu opened his mouth to protest, but he couldn't argue with her logic. So he frowned and folded his arms over his chest grumpily.

"Fine…." He muttered.

Chao and Tigress left right afterwards. Siren got some money from Anuli and went to the market. Shifu walked to his room and sat at the window, pondering his dream. He had never seen such beasts before. And the fact that both Junjie _and _Lord Shen were there made it seem more like a vision. But what did it mean?

Shifu sighed and sat on his bed, folding his legs into a lotus position. He breathed evenly, softly chanting "Inner peace….." to calm his mind. But no peace would come to him, especially not when music started playing in the living room again. But this wasn't the piano; it was different and more upbeat. Shifu walked from his room and to the living room once more. But when he looked in, he was met with a most surprising sight.

Anuli had her music playing from her iPod dock. She was currently dancing to one of the songs. She moved with the grace of a bird and the energy of shrew mouse. She wore a teal tank top and white Daisy Duke shorts. She didn't have a hat on.

On top of her head were fox ears. Sprouting from her tailbone was an actual tail; a fox tail to be precise.

Anuli obviously hadn't noticed Shifu yet. She was happy as ever, dancing around the room like a fairy. Her fox tail wagged with pleasure. She laughed as she jumped and twirled and danced her heart out. When the song ended, she bowed to an invisible master.

Shifu suddenly appeared in front of her and clapped.

Anuli looked up quickly and screamed a little as she stumbled back. She tried to cover her ears and hide her tail, but the damage was done.

"Don't freak out." Shifu chuckled. "You said you could dance, but I never knew it was so well."

Anuli looked down, her fox ears flattening on her head. "You weren't supposed to find out."

"That's why you wear that hat all the time." Shifu guessed. "And why you wear long skirts; to hide this."

"Of course." Anuli sighed as she sat down on the couch. "Because everyone in this world can see my tail and ears. They'd think I was a freak; send animal control or something. Nobody can know about this."

"Trust me, your secret is safe." Shifu assured as he sat down next to her.

"Really?" Anuli asked. "You don't think I'm a freak?"

"Of course not." Shifu shook his head. "I don't understand why I would."

"I'm a human that has animal ears and a tail." Anuli said. "That's not normal."

Shifu nodded in understanding. "Does Siren know?"

"She's known for a while."

"Then she would understand a lot better than I would." Shifu explained. "She lived in a world where she was the only human around. Many saw her as a pale-faced demon. It took a long time for people to get used to her. Even then, she faced a lot of prejudice against her. Ren was the same way. But both of them managed to get through it. They looked on the positive side, and both led very happy lives. They never let something as pointless as their looks affect their lives." Shifu smiled at Anuli. "You shouldn't, either."

Anuli looked at the ground, then smiled. "I guess so."

Shifu nodded. "Which, I must ask, how did you get your fox traits? Since they're not really normal."

"It actually happened naturally." Anuli admitted. "My father moved here from China after his family died. My mother met him in town once. They literally ran into each other while she was shopping. To apologize, my dad took her to lunch. They talked, laughed, and parted ways with the promise of meeting again. And they did, exactly three days later." Anuli laughed lightly. "Mom used to tell me she had never loved someone more. They were married four months later. And then I came into the picture. Siren was born on the same day. When I was born, I had my father's human form with my mother's tail and ears."

"So your mother was the fox." Shifu said.

"Yep." Anuli nodded. "It made perfect sense, too. Her name was Vixen."

Shifu stared at Anuli in shock. "Vixen?"

"Yeah." Anuli said. "Why?"

"Do you know how she came to this world?" Shifu asked hurriedly.

Anuli thought for a moment. "She was a midwife, for Siren's mother Ren."


	11. Ch 11 A Day of Rest

**Chapter Eleven- A Day of Rest**

When Chao, Tigress, and Siren returned home that evening, Anuli finally gather the courage to reveal her ears and tail. She even told them about her mother Vixen. Chao and Tigress were very surprised, but managed to shake it off. There was no news on Ren, Junjie, or the panther. Shifu was completely ready to tell them about his dream. He was still confused about it. That, and his conversation with Anuli still rung in his head like a gong next to his ears. He knew Vixen very well. She was a kind and strong doctor of the Jade Palace, who had left with Ren to the human world. He never could've imagined that she'd fall in love and have a child. But it explains a lot; Anuli acted very much like her mother.

At dinner, the group tried to figure out where to go next, but with no new leads or clues, it seemed like the only thing to do was to continue what they were currently doing.

Anuli found no sleep would come to her that night. No matter how much she tossed and turned, she still felt fully awake. _Maybe I should've danced a bit more to tire me out. _ She thought. But she only shrugged and carefully slid out of bed as to not wake Siren. The paler of the two girls was snuggled deep into her blankets to keep out the cold. Anuli made sure the blanket was still covering her before sneaking off down the hall. She walked to her room first and opened the door. Tigress was asleep on her bed, her breathing even. But if Anuli listened, she could plainly hear Tigress purring in her sleep. One could only wonder what she was dreaming about. Anuli shut the door and turned to the first guest room. Chao was also asleep inside. Anuli had to stifle a laugh when his tongue involuntarily flicked in and out of his mouth. She smiled and moved on to Shifu's room. But when she opened the door, the elderly red panda was sitting on his bed, meditating.

"Couldn't sleep?" Anuli said softly.

Shifu's ears flicked in her direction as he turned from the window. He looked absolutely exhausted. "I'm fine, thank you."

"It doesn't sound like you're fine." Anuli said, an accusing look on her face.

A smile tugged at Shifu's lips. "Now I know you're Vixen's daughter."

Anuli smiled and came to sit down next to Shifu. "What wrong?"

Shifu sighed, returning his gaze to the window. "There's so much happening right now. And I'm not sure I even understand it all."

"What do you mean?" Anuli asked.

Shifu scoffed. "You wouldn't want to listen to an old man's woes."

Anuli turned to sit parallel with Shifu, sitting with her legs crossed. "Try me."

Shifu looked up just enough to see the caring glint in Anuli's dark eyes. He sighed. "First we find that someone I know personally is trying to kill me; and I have the strangest feeling I _really _know them. Then we find a portal to another world, and that Ren is alive. I had always looked to Ren like a sister, and to know she's alright after believing her dead all these years is just….." Shifu bit his lip and sighed. "Junjie's still out there. We've been through a lot together and I don't want to see him dead…yet." Anuli giggled a little. Shifu even mustered a smile, but it was gone in an instant. "What's worse is the rest of my students at the Jade Palace. That sorceress sent people to take control of the palace. No matter how great of warriors they are, I still fear that something has happened to them. They probably think I'm dead."

Anuli nodded in understanding. "It's not good to dwell on such things. From what you've told me, your students are great warriors. I'm sure they'll be fine. And we're going to find Junjie and Ren and we'll all ban together to beat this sorceress. Then you guys will go home, where you belong. And I promise I'll help you in any way I can."

Shifu glanced up to look at Anuli fully. He noticed her fox tail wagging happily, and he couldn't help but think about how Junjie's tail always did that after playing a prank on someone. Shifu smiled, stood, and bowed.

"Thank you, Anuli." He said. Anuli smiled and pulled Shifu into a hug before he could react. "Anuli, put me down!"

"Not a chance." Anuli stifled a laugh to not wake anyone. "First you have to tell me why you think you know that sorceress."

Shifu's face burned under his fur. "Uh, it's a little more complicated than that."

Anuli set Shifu down and noticed the look of embarrassment on his face. "What do you mean?"

Shifu sighed. "How long are you willing to stay up?"

The next day, Anuli made announcement at breakfast.

"We're going out today." She told them. "Somewhere very special."

"Where's that?" Tigress asked.

"A place out in the forest." Anuli answered. "Make sure you're dressed to swim."

Nobody truly understood what she meant until they arrived at the place deep in the forest. Everyone but Siren and Anuli stared with awe.

A small waterfall poured into a large, clear pond. A stream led down various levels of rocks and into a creek that traveled further into the forest. The area around the water was mostly rocks with grass dotted here and there. With the warm sun in the cloudless sky and the waters sparkling, it defiantly seemed like the perfect place to be.

Anuli dropped her towel and shed her shorts and T-shirt to reveal a red bikini that matched her fox features perfectly. She was the first to jump off the rocks and do a cannonball into the waters. She resurfaced soon after, laughing. "Come on!" she called up. "Water's great!"

Siren hid in some bushes to change out of her pants and vest. When she came out, she also wore a bikini, but hers was blue with rhinestones.

"Shouldn't you cover up a little?" Chao groaned.

"Don't spoil a teen's fun, Daddy dearest." Siren laughed. She jumped off the rocks with a squeal. Tigress dived into the water after her. Tigress, Chao, and Shifu really didn't have anything to swim in except their clothes, but that really wasn't an issue. At first, the elder masters refused to get in the water. But a little shove from Siren and Anuli changed their minds.

"When I get my hands on you, you're dead!" Chao snapped as he darted after his daughter. Siren only laughed and jumped into the water again. They continued the swim for a while before having a picnic lunch on the rocks.

"I can't remember the last time I was on a picnic." Tigress sighed. "And this place is so beautiful."

"My parents and I used to come here all the time." Anuli said. "It was our favorite spot to hang out. Besides, this is one of the few places where I don't have to worry about someone seeing my tail or ears."

"It really is magnificent." Chao said as he stared at the area around them. "Reminds me of the lake we went to, right Shifu?"

"Yes, indeed." Shifu nodded. He noticed Chao's expression turned a little sorrowful, and he remembered the last time they went to that lake was the day before Ren left.

Anuli noticed the masters' attitudes. Her conversation with Shifu last night had really given her a shock. If Shifu was right about this sorceress's true identity, they could really have a problem. A very _big _problem.

Anuli set her food down and ran to do another cannonball into the water. The splash rained down onto the others on the rocks.

"I _just _got dry!" Shifu snapped.

Anuli only stuck out her tongue and blew an innocent raspberry. She started doing backstrokes in the water. Shifu frowned and picked up an apple from the picnic basket. He weighed the fruit in his hand for a moment before chucking it towards Anuli. The fox/human hybrid ducked underwater as the red fruit sailed over her head.

"Ha!" she laughed. "Missed me!"

"Wasn't aiming for you." Shifu called back. The others watched as the fruit hit Shifu's actual target: a rock. The apple bounced off the rock, into the trees, rolled down a branch and landed right on Anuli's head. She growled and rubbed the sore spot on her head, glaring at Shifu. The elder red panda only smirked.

"When I get my hands on you, you'll be nothing more than a pillow." Anuli growled. She started swimming towards the group and ran up onto the rocks. Sensing the danger, Shifu sped away. But Anuli was right behind him. The others could only watch in amusement as Shifu successfully dodged Anuli's attempts to grab him. However, the result of the chase was Shifu skidding to a halt (to avoid the waterfall) and Anuli crashing into him. Both tumbled down the falls and into the water. They came up two seconds later, sputtering and glaring at each other.

"Aw, don't you two look cute together." Siren cooed. Anuli and Shifu could feel their faces burning as they climbed out of the pool.

"So Siren tells us you dance." Tigress told Anuli.

"Yeah, I've been dancing my entire life." Anuli nodded. "I love it. In fact, there's a competition coming up soon. The winner of the competition gets a lot of money and a trophy. I've been practicing for a week now."

"What kind of dancing will you do?" Siren asked.

"Not fully sure." Anuli shrugged. "I've been practicing everything. But I was thinking of doing something cultural, like an Indian dance."

"That sounds awesome." Siren said.

"You guys should come." Anuli offered. "Registration is tomorrow, and the competition is in a week."

"You think we have time for that?" Tigress asked. "We still have a job to do."

"We haven't forgotten." Shifu assured. "Still, I don't see us going anywhere anytime soon. We'd be honored to attend." Tigress and Chao agreed.

"Thanks." Anuli breathed. "That really takes the nerves away."

When they got home later that afternoon, Siren had first dibs on the shower and darted into the bathroom before anyone else could protest.

"Darn it." Anuli muttered.

Chao rolled his eyes, thinking back to when Siren did that after training. As they made their way into the kitchen, something caught his eye. "What's that?"

Anuli followed his point. "That's a telephone."

"Why is there a red light on it?" Chao asked.

Anuli looked closer. "Oh, there's a message." Everyone gave her confused looks. "A telephone is used to contact people far away and talk to them directly. If the person can't be reached, then the caller leaves a message. I guess someone tried to call while we were gone." She pressed a button on the phone charger and giggled at everyone jumping.

"_You have one unheard message." _The phone's recorded voice said. _"First unheard message."_

There was a pause, and then an angry voice came from the phone. _"Vixen, this is Chang. Don't you dare try and deny what I'm about to say. When I was taken to jail, the police said they never found my daughter Siren. I know for a fact that you cared about her. Why you did, I have no idea. But I want her back. I've come home and she's not there. So I'm only going to say this once: give me back what's mine or so help my I'll come over there and rip her from your cold, dead body! Do you hear me? I want what's mine! And you're going to give it to me! You have one week!" _The message stopped.

Everyone had different reactions. Anuli was staring at the phone with a deer-in-the-headlights look. Chao was glaring, his fists clenched so hard his claws pierced his skin. Tigress was utterly confused, but also put off-guard. Shifu gripped Oogway's staff tight in his hands, staring at the floor.

Suddenly, everyone became aware of another presence in the room. They turned and saw Siren standing before them. She was back in her vest and pants and her wet hair hung around her shoulders. She looked horrified.

"My stepdad's back, isn't he?" she whispered.

Everyone nodded slowly.


	12. Ch 12 A Mysterious Stranger

**Chapter Twelve- A Mysterious Stranger**

Anuli turned and tapped her feet, moving to the traditional Indian music coming from her player. She finished her dance in a graceful pose and then bowed, shutting off the player. Her audience, consisting of Tigress, Siren, Shifu, and Chao, clapped for her.

"Well done, Anuli." Shifu congratulated. "Well done."

"You were amazing." Tigress added.

Anuli smiled sheepishly. "Well, it's not much, but it's something. I'm still putting the finer touches on it."

"You're going to do great in that competition." Siren assured.

"Oh yeah, we should probably head over to registration soon." Anuli said as she ran to put her hat and shoes on. "You guys wanna come?"

"I will." Siren said. "Can we trust you guys alone in the house?" She turned to the masters behind her.

"We'll be fine." Shifu assured.

"I'm coming with you." Tigress said. "I want to see more of the city."

"Alright then." Anuli pulled her beanie over her ears and made sure her tail was properly concealed. "We'll be back in a few hours; I'd like to stop by the mall on the way back." She led Tigress and Siren out the door.

"Bye guys!" Siren called as she shut the door.

The three girls walked down to the city streets and took a bus to the sign-ups. A line of people was already there. The trio took their places and waited patiently. They watched as some people stood in groups with matching outfits. They were practicing while they waited. Siren was amazed by the dancing style of the modern day performers.

"Wow, the competition sure is fierce." Anuli looked nervous. "Look how many solo dancers there are."

"You'll be fine." Tigress assured. "You dance ten times better than these people."

Anuli seemed to brighten up, but her expression went to fearful and she ducked behind Tigress and Siren. "Hide me!" she hissed.

"Why?" Siren asked.

"Because I don't want her to see me." Anuli said.

"Who?" Tigress asked.

"Anuli?"

Tigress and Siren turned and saw a girl, about 16 or 17, walking over to them. She had tanned skin and black hair. Her piercing brown eyes drilled into Tigress and Siren. She wore a white, spaghetti strap tank top, a pink mini skirt, and spiky high heels.

"Anuli, is that you?" the girl asked.

Anuli sighed and stepped from her hiding spot. "Hey Ying."

Ying smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. "Oh, honey, are you really going for the competition again?"

"Yes, I am." Anuli said proudly. She kept her gaze straight ahead as the line moved.

"Dearest, when are you going to realize that all you'll ever be is a loser?" Ying asked.

"Hey!" Siren snapped. "_Nobody _talks to my friends that way."

Ying looked at Siren and she blinked in surprise. "Siren Jin. Long time no see. I remember you from the school."

"I should've known it was you." Siren said disdainfully. "You're Ying, the bully that can't find anything better to do than torment people."

Ying smiled smugly. "Is there a problem with being perfect?"

"You're not perfect." Tigress growled. "And I suggest you leave now."

Ying turned to Tigress with a sneer. "What's with the hair, freak show?"

"Leave her alone." Anuli snarled as she stepped forward. Siren pulled her back. Anuli, in anger, shrugged her off and walked up to the table. "Single dancer."

The man at the table flipped through a book. "I'm sorry, but there are no more spots available for the single dancers."

Ying laughed behind them. "Looks like you've lucked out this year."

Siren glared hard at Ying and turned to the man. "What about doubles?"

The man checked. "There are a few spots left."

"Two dancer team." Siren said. "Me and her."

Anuli looked up in shock. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Siren nodded.

Anuli looked back at Ying. The bully looked smug, but also a little afraid. Anuli smirked and gave the man the information.

"Welcome to the competition." The man said. "See you in a week. Good luck."

Anuli smirked at Ying on the way down the street. "See you on the dance floor."

Tigress, Siren, and Anuli laughed. But Anuli looked a little worried. "What do we do for the dance?"

"I've got an idea for that." Siren said. "Back in the Valley of Peace, there are these panther twins that are fantastic dancers. They taught me a lot. We can do a combination dance: Indian and Chinese."

"That sounds great!" Tigress complimented. "A combination of cultures."

"Sweet!" Anuli punched the air. The three of them laughed again. Tigress's ear suddenly flicked behind her and she turned her head.

"Those three young men have been following us since we left the sign-ups." Tigress whispered.

Anuli turned her head just enough to see the first boy. "Stay facing forward." She ordered. "Do exactly as I say and we'll avoid the conflict altogether."

"Who are they?" Siren asked.

"Just a couple punks." Anuli explained. "College boys that usually stay near campus. Must've snuck away for a little fun."

"What's the worst that can happen if they catch us?" Tigress asked, clenching her fists.

"They've sexually harassed girls and gotten away with it." Anuli growled. Tigress and Siren shared a look and kept parallel with Anuli. The African girl led them down the street and into a supermarket. The boys kept behind them. Siren wanted to turn around and punch them, but she held back her anger.

"They're still following us." Siren muttered.

"I know." Anuli nodded. "But we'll be fine." She looked over her shoulder and stopped. "They're gone." Tigress and Siren turned and agreed: the boys couldn't be seen.

"Maybe they left." Tigress guessed.

"Let's get home." Siren urged.

"Hold on." Anuli said. "I'll call Dr. Bán and have him pick us up." Siren looked around, but the market was kind of crowded.

Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth and grabbed her arm, pulling her around a corner. She moved enough to bite the hand on her mouth and jump away. When she spun around, the three boys were there.

"Delicate flower, huh?" one of the boys scoffed. "More like a vicious snake."

"She's still pretty." The second boy smiled. "Just look at that face."

"Look at that chest." The third boy laughed.

"Touch me and you die." Siren snapped.

The boys laughed.

"She's a feisty little thing." The first boy laughed.

"She'll be perfect." The second boy agreed, a gleam in his eyes.

"Why don't you come with us?" The third boy offered. "We've got a couple beers with your name on them."

"Leave me alone you little—"

"Ah, there you are darling."

Siren tensed as an arm draped over her shoulder. She looked up and saw a young man with fair skin and wavy blond hair that brushed his ear lobes. He wore black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a black vest. His dress shoes were white with black toes. He smiled with his bright white teeth, his sapphire eyes glittering.

"Hey, do you mind?" the first boy snapped. "We're busy."

"Really?" the man said. "It looked like you were just leaving." He waved his hand, and the boys suddenly stood straight and marched off, almost like robots. The boys grunted and tried to stop themselves, but they kept marching.

Siren stared at the man. "What did you do?"

"Relax." The man shrugged. "It'll wear off eventually."

"Thanks for that." Siren said.

"Not a problem." The man said. "Why don't I escort you and your friends home?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that." Siren assured.

"I insist." The man said as he steered Siren towards Tigress and Anuli. Once they met up and the man explained the situation, the girls found themselves being escorted by the man all the way to Anuli's house.

"Thank you for looking out for Siren." Tigress told the man.

"Of course." The man nodded. "Just remember this: I _am _your friend. If you ever need me, here's my card." He handed a business card to Siren. The girl took the card and turned it over a couple times. The card was navy blue. On one side was a set of directions. On the other was a name.

"Dong?" Siren asked.

The man nodded. "That's me. But I would be wise about when and where you use that card. It's only good for one use." He turned and walked off, waving.

"What an odd man." Anuli noted.

Siren stared at the card in her hand. She couldn't help but feel like Dong's name was familiar.

**A/N: Kudos to "Howl's Moving Castle" for the boys marching off via magic spell. If you haven't seen it, see it. And review please!**


	13. Ch 13 The Lost Returned

**Chapter Thirteen- The Lost Returned**

Junjie looked through the trees at the palace ahead. The building had been carved into the mountain itself and loomed over the forest. From what he could see, there were no guards. But he stuck to the shadows anyway; no use risking getting caught. And the last thing Junjie wanted was to be captured by some crazy panther chick.

Junjie scaled the walls and slipped over to the other side. He managed to get inside the castle and started poking his head in different rooms. Each room had something: a golden throne surrounded by treasure; a library with shelves stuffed with books; a grand bedroom with a large canopy bed; a kitchen; another library; finally, a study, with papers strewn about the table. Curious, Junjie stepped inside and started rummaging through the papers. Unfortunately, nothing caught his interest because everything was written in some language or code he could not decipher. So he moved on to the next room: a large dining hall with a long table set up for a feast. The only thing missing was the food.

The sound of footsteps reached Junjie's ears, and he dived under the table before two beings entered the room.

"I sincerely hope I can be of assistance to you."

"I do as well. It would be a shame to climb a mountain and receive no reward."

"What about the reward of making it to the top?"

"That's not the same as the reward I desire."

Junjie peered from beneath the tablecloth and saw a pair of panther feet and a pair of human feet make their way to the head of the table. He silently followed, keeping with the conversation.

"Rest assured, I can find what you seek. My magic is strong and my scouts are reliable."

"Your scouts are nothing more than shadows. How can I trust they won't damage my prize?"

"Prize? I thought we were talking about your daughter."

"She is worth more to me than all the gold or power in the world."

Junjie suddenly froze as he recognized the voice of the second woman.

"Come now, Miss Ren." The first woman sighed. "She's not a child anymore."

"But she is _my _child." Ren snapped. "And I won't rest until I've found her and my husband." She looked down at the floor, then to the panther sorceress before her. "They've waited too long for me."

The panther nodded and gestured for Ren to sit. Both did so. "I think I understand. In a way, I'm jealous. I wish I had at least one child to call my own. But that dream was stolen."

"Stolen?" Ren asked.

"Yes." The panther growled. "By the man that stole my heart. At one time, I thought we had truly loved each other. But then he abandoned me and took his love with him." The panther sighed, with anger and a twinge of sadness. "He left me; like I was nothing more than an old handbag."

Ren looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry for that."

The panther scoffed. "No matter. I will soon take back what is mine."

Ren gave her a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"That man stole my heart." The panther said. "And he will pay. You know how the saying goes? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth…" The panther unsheathed her claws, the nails gleaming in the light. "….a heart for a heart."

Ren tensed up a little. "I feel sorry for the poor sap that will fall prey to this."

"Indeed." The panther chuckled darkly.

"If I may ask, who was it that stole your heart?" Ren questioned.

The panther sneered.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

He wandered down the dark streets, not really sure where he was going. He would've followed Siren back to wherever she was, but he didn't feel comfortable with that man near her. He knew the man must've been a friend. Besides, how could he just show his face to her now? What was he supposed to do? Tell her how he died, came back to life, and was given a scroll with her picture on it? She'd think he was a stalker or something.

He shook his head and gazed at his reflection in a store window. His human form was certainly odd. He still had his ruby eyes and his silver robes. But his hair, which would brush his shoulders if he didn't put in up in a ponytail, was white like his plumage with red and black ends.

Shen sighed and continued walking. His metal talons somehow looked like odd metal shoes to these humans, yet all he saw when he looked down were the metal contraptions that hid his scars. He groaned. That was the worst part about his human form: it was harder to hide the burns on his legs and feet.

He had no idea how he got here, or why. But he knew that Oogway meant for him to find this girl. He even told him her name: Siren Jin. To Shen, it sounded like a beautiful name, and she was a beautiful girl.

"No beautiful girl deserves a beast like me." He muttered to himself. "After all I've done, there's no one in this world or the next that would even care for me in the slightest." He looked to the sky at all the little white stars. "Master Oogway, please, tell me why I must find her. What good will come from it? Why have I been sent here at such a younger age?" He glared at his reflection in a car window. "Look at me! I'm no older than twenty! Am I to be tortured by this?" Upon receiving no answer, Shen angrily kicked a pole nearby, which only resulted in him holding his leg in pain and jumping on one foot. He stalked off, muttering curses under his breath so foul his mother would've washed his beak with soap.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Ren suddenly jumped to her feet. "What?"

"Yes." The panther nodded. "He abandoned me and must pay the price. When I find him, I will tear his heart from his chest and watch the light leave his eyes forever." She laughed darkly. "It will be truly magnificent."

Ren clenched her fists. "I can't let you do that."

The panther's smile disappeared. "What?"

"I know him better than that!" Ren shouted. "He would never do such a thing. And I won't let you kill him over something that's probably not true!"

The panther scoffed. "And you think you can stop me? With what you're risking?"

"Risking?"

"The life of your daughter and husband."

Ren's eyes narrowed, but she was secretly fearful.

"Yes." The panther nodded. "Unless you can help me, I'm afraid that I'll have to send my shadows to kill rather than capture."

"If you touch my family, then mark my words, I will _murder _you." Ren growled.

The panther laughed. "You can't stop me." She stood and shoved her staff forward. Ren was thrown into the wall by an invisible force and held there. The panther started walking towards her. "My magic is stronger than anything some puny kung fu warrior can throw."

Junjie suddenly stuck his foot out, and the panther tripped to the ground. Ren dropped and Junjie darted out the door, pulling her along.

"We have to find them!" Ren urged.

"I know!" Junjie snapped. "Let's get out of here first!"

They rounded a couple corners until they reached the main doors. The panther's voice echoed down the hall.

"Intruders! Get them! Kill them!"

Junjie and Ren took notice of the shadows that started taking forms of different animals. They dodged arrows that were shot at them as they raced through the courtyard. They made it to the gate as it was closing and both slid underneath it. The two were quick to get to their feet and run off. But a blast nearly knocked them off their feet. Junjie turned and saw the panther flying after them. As the black cat hovered in the air, she shot blasts of energy towards the retreating warriors.

"Keep moving!" Junjie called.

"Where?" Ren demanded. "We can't lead her to the city!"

Junjie bit his lip. _Good point. _He looked around wildly before he spotted something. "This way!" He took a sharp right with Ren behind him. They barreled through the forest, dodging blasts and trees until they reached a great river. The waters weren't rapids, but they were pretty close.

"Are you crazy?" Ren cried.

"Trust me!" Junjie said. He took Ren's hand in his. "Jump!" The two of them leaped off the rocks and plunged into the waters. The panther sorceress landed on the rocks and looked out into the water.

But there was no sign of the human or the fox.


	14. Ch 14 The Competition

**A/N: Quick warning for some foul language later in this chapter. **

**Chapter Fourteen- The Competition**

Anuli stared at the dozens of people out in the audience. She felt even sicker to her stomach than she already was. She turned and walked back to where the other dancers were. Siren and Tigress were there, waiting.

"I don't think I can do this." Anuli sounded close to hyperventilating.

"Li, you'll be fine." Siren assured. "We've been practicing for hours on end!"

"Yeah, but—"

"You'll be fine." Tigress assured. "I'm going to sit with Shifu and Chao. You guys will do great!" Tigress took off.

Anuli sighed and looked around. Her eyes traveled to all the other dancers before settling on Siren and herself. Siren wore very traditional Chinese dancing clothes: red pants with gold bans at her ankles and knees. She also wore a red shirt with sleeves that brushed her elbows and had gold across her shoulders and chest. A gold headband covered her forehead and her black hair was up in a tight bun. She had in her hand a red fan with a Chinese dragon on it. Anuli wore a traditional Indian outfit. She wore a red skirt that was dotted with gold and a shirt that was the same. The sari scarf and a veil was red satin with gold glitter. The scarf wrapped around her waist and up to her shoulders. The veil was attached to a red, stretchy headband that covered her fox ears. A ruby bindi was in the middle of her forehead. Instead of cornrows, her hair hung loose around her shoulders in tiny ringlets.

Anuli fingered her veil. "I don't know about this."

"Li, you'll be fine." Siren assured. "I'll be right next to you the whole time. And you know that Shifu, Tigress, and my dad will be in the audience rooting for you."

Anuli looked up and smiled a little. "Thanks Cy."

"Our next performers: the duo of Siren Jin and Anuli!" the announcer said.

Anuli took a breath. "Alright, let's do this."

"That's the spirit." Siren patted her on the back as they moved out onstage. Anuli nearly ran off again at the sight of the people, but Siren gave her hand a squeeze, so the African girl swallowed back her fear. The two girls took their places on the stage and the music began.

It started with the Indian music; a sitar playing something smooth and slow. Anuli took a breath and made her first move. She took a step forward, raising one hand arched above her head and the other curved around her chest. She took another step, then twisted on the balls of her feet to face the other way. She brought her arched hand down and spun in a full circle. She raised her hands to the ceiling and brought them down in a curving motion, like slithering snakes. She froze in that position as the music changed.

The speakers produced calm Chinese music; this time drums tapping a slow beat. Siren took a step forward and did a slow pirouette. She stepped down into a snake stance. She opened her fan and made little back and forth motions as she brushed it across her face. Then she swept the fan across the floor and up into the air in a huge arch, standing as she did. She took her fan in two hands and spun in a circle. When she stopped, Siren stood with her legs crossed and her fan hiding all but her eyes.

The music changed to the Indian sitar. Anuli spun around and gracefully stepped forward. She raised one hand to the sky and the other to the ground, then switched her hands. She spun around and pointed her hand out, then spun the other direction with a different hand. She stood straight and tall and raised her hands to the sky as the music reached a crescendo. The beat changed to more up tempo. Anuli moved her hips and hands in graceful and energetic movements. She froze as the music went to upbeat Chinese music, which Siren began dancing to. Siren twirled and kicked her legs high in the air, moving her fan in elaborate sweeping motions. The girls switched off doing different moves. Then, both of them froze as there was a pause in the music.

Then there was the main event: the music started again with the combination of the Indian sitar and the Chinese drums. The two girls moved as one, switching between Indian dancing and Chinese fan.

Anuli twisted and turned, moving with the beat of the drums and the sound of the sitar, swishing her sari around. Siren combined her kung fu training with her dancing movements, leaping into the air and performing acrobatic feats. She fanned her face and smirked craftily. Anuli spun in circles, her skirt and veil flying out. The girls' movements became more elaborate, more graceful, and even more beautiful.

Soon, the end of the song drew near. Anuli performed her final moves: a full spin, then going to her knees and folding her hands at her chest. Siren jumped into the air with a spin and landed standing behind Anuli. She crossed her hands delicately in an X across her chest, her fan hiding all but her eyes.

The music ended.

And the audience erupted in applause.

Anuli and Siren stood side by side and bowed simultaneously. They walked offstage and Anuli nearly collapsed.

"That was terrifying!" she breathed.

"You were fantastic!" Siren assured.

"You were great, too." Anuli complimented. "Thanks for being there."

Siren smiled and pulled her friend into a hug. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"What a bunch of losers."

Siren and Anuli glared as they turned to Ying. The spoiled Chinese girl wore a frilly pink leotard and tutu with sparkling ballet slippers. The announcers called for Ying, and the girl smiled smugly as she walked off.

"Say goodbye to that trophy." Ying boasted. "You'll never be as good a dancer as me."

"You're right." Siren said. Ying gave her a weird look. "Anuli's better." Ying turned her nose to the air with a "humph" and walked onstage.

Anuli groaned. "If I never see her again, it'll be a blessing from the gods themselves."

"No kidding." Siren agreed.

The competition continued for another half hour until all the dancers had performed and the judges were given time to evaluate. Then, all the dancers gathered in front of the stage to hear the winners.

"In third place!" the announcer called. "The dancing group known as the Golden Dragons!" Five identically dressed boys ran up onstage, cheering and jumping. They took the trophy and held it high as the audience clapped for them. "And now, I need the following dancers onstage please!" He looked at the card. "The solo dancer Ying and the duet of Anuli and Siren!"

"Come on!" Siren whispered.

"I don't know." Anuli whispered as they walked onstage. "I've always placed second; if gives Ying the excuse to call me 'second-place, second best'."

"Don't worry about her." Siren said as they stopped. Ying was beside them, smiling proudly like she had already won.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this year's competition!" the announcer called. Everyone in the audience clapped and cheered. "The winner….is…" Everyone waited with baited breath. Siren took Anuli's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Anuli and Siren!"

Anuli looked up in surprise. Had she heard right? All around her, people clapped and whistled. Siren was beaming with pride. Ying looked mortified and furious. Anuli felt Siren pull her up to the front of the stage for a bow. A lady in a sparkling red dress came to them and gave them a large gold trophy. Anuli stared at the trophy, a smile spreading across her face. She stared out at the crowd, biting back the urge to cry.

High up in the second level of the stands, Dong stood and clapped for Siren and her friend. He smiled, thinking back to Siren's dancing. _So much like her mother. _He thought. _And so much like her grandmother. It's truly amazing how much they can resemble one another. Then again, considering what they used to be. _Dong looked down and noticed a certain human that would only stand out to him. This human had scraggly, dull black hair. His eyes were brown like mud. He was glaring at the two girls onstage. As the girls moved backstage, the man began to move in that direction.

Dong considered going down there, but caught sight of Chao, Shifu, and Tigress going towards where Siren and Anuli went. "They're in good hands." He said to himself. He brushed off his pants and walked off, whistling to himself. Suddenly, his hand went to the charm on his necklace. It was a simple charm: an orb encased in the legs of a ceramic spider. But as he looked at it, the charm began to glow faintly.

"She's in trouble." Dong growled. He took off running as fast as his feet would carry him.

Siren and Anuli were close to squealing as they had a mini celebration backstage. The other dancers congratulated them, complimenting the uniqueness of the girls' dance. All they could do in response was nod in thanks. Shifu, Chao, and Tigress came backstage and waved them over.

"That was amazing!" Tigress exclaimed.

"Wonderful." Shifu agreed. "Lily and Ling would be extremely jealous."

"We're proud of both of you." Chao nodded. "You've both done very well."

"Thank you all." Anuli bowed. "It really helps."

"After everything you've done for us, of course." Siren playfully punched her arm.

"There you are!"

The five of them jumped and turned to the man that had shouted at them. Currently, that man was stomping towards them with a look of drunken fury in his eyes.

"You know him?" Tigress whispered.

Siren looked horrified. "That's my stepdad, Chang."

Chang marched over to them and stood before Siren. Chao started towards her, but she shook her head small.

"Well, I guess that Vixen woman isn't as stupid as I thought." Chang growled. "I was about to go to the house and get you, and yet here you are. I should've known." He shook his head like he was disappointed. "You were always hanging around these vermin." He looked to Anuli at the word "vermin".

"What do you want?" Siren demanded.

Chang looked back at her with a disgusted look. "I'm bringing you home, where you belong. Now come on, it's almost time for dinner." He turned and started to walk away, but he stopped when he realized Siren wasn't following. He looked back at her. "Well? Get over here! I'm taking you back!"

"No." Siren said in a low voice.

Chang's eyes flashed with anger. "What did you say?"

"I said 'no'." Siren repeated. "You have no control over me."

"As your father—"

"You aren't my father." Siren cut him off. "You're a monster. You beat me and ordered me around like a slave. I've had enough. I'm staying with my family."

"You have no family." Chang snapped, his voice rising. "You have no friends, no money, nothing! Unless you come with me, you won't have a roof over your head either. Now come on!" He grabbed Siren's wrist and started to pull her. Siren's kung fu reflexes kicked in, and she quickly took a stance, grabbed her trapped hand, and twisted it free of Chang's grasp. Chang glared hard. Before Siren could react, Chang planted his fist in Siren's stomach, slapped her across the face, and shoved her to the ground. Anuli stepped forward to defend her friend, but she too was shoved aside.

"You will come with me now." Chang growled. "Or I'll have to hurt you worse. You're older now; maybe you can take the pain better than when you were a more pathetic child."

Siren glared at her stepfather, rubbing her sore cheek. "Go to hell." She spat.

Shifu and Tigress were about to move forward and froze at Siren's language. Chang looked absolutely enraged. He reached a hand down to grab Siren, but another hand took a hold of his wrist. He followed the arm up to its owner and narrowed his eyes.

"You got a problem?" he demanded.

"Stay away from my daughter." Chao growled. He shoved Chang a few feet away.

Chang stared, and then laughed. "So Ren married _you _first? No wonder that broad was so dense. Why she would marry somebody like you, I'll never know."

"Just leave." Chao ordered. "You're not particularly welcome here."

"Why don't you just shut the hell up and stand aside?" Chang laughed. "Or I'll have to teach you a lesson."

"Perhaps you need to be taught a lesson in manners." Tigress said, helping Siren to her feet. "And in proper language."

"You shut your mouth, you filthy little prostitute." Chang snapped.

Tigress almost lunged for him, but Shifu stopped her.

"Just give me the little wench." Chang ordered. "Now, or I'll have to hurt you." Chao stood protectively in front of his daughter. Chang frowned and threw a punch.

Chao caught the human's fist in his clawed hand.

To Chang, all he could see was a human before him. But his "nails" felt like claws digging into his skin. Chao twisted Chang's arm at an odd angle. Chang went to his knees in pain, whimpering like a dog.

"You listen to me _very _carefully." Chao said slowly. "Nobody talks about my wife like that. Nobody talks to my friends like that. And _nobody _treats my daughter and her friends the way you do. I will not stand aside and let you cause this much physical and verbal harm to others that don't deserve it. So I'm only going to say this once." He leaned in close to Chang's fearful face. "Leave us alone. Because if you ever harm my family again, I will hunt you down and cause you so much pain, you'll be begging me to kill you. And I, being a merciful man, will happily oblige."

Chao shoved Chang to the floor. The man scrambled to his feet and ran out, almost hitting the door hinge on his way out. Chao straightened up and regained his composure. He looked towards Siren. "Sorry you had to see that."

Siren only smiled and hugged her father. "Are you kidding? That was awesome." Chao smiled and returned the embrace.

When they returned home later that evening, Anuli treated them to dinner. In the midst of the dinner, Shifu called for attention.

"I propose a toast." He offered. "To Anuli and Siren, for their fantastic performance tonight. And to Chao, for not losing his temper." Everyone laughed as Chao simply smirked.

"Especially Anuli." Siren added. "You've been pretty much our only friend here and you've been a great help." She sighed. "I just wish there was something more any of us could do for you."

Anuli shook her head. "No, please, it's alright. You're my friends, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect them." She stared at her drink for a moment. "But, if I may ask, there is one thing I desire."

"What's that?" Tigress asked. Everyone looked towards the African girl quizzically.

Anuli paused for a while. Time seemed to slow down as she thought. She fingered her skirt, her fox ears laying halfway flat against her head. She took a breath. "Well, I was just thinking…" she sighed. "No, it's ridiculous."

"Anuli, really, if there's something we can do, we can try and do it." Shifu assured. "You've done much for us, including saving my life. We owe you one."

Anuli nodded in understanding. "Well, I just wanted to ask if I could—"

_SMASH!_

Siren shrieked in surprise as a rock flew through the window.


	15. Ch 15 A Knife to the Heart

**Chapter Fifteen- A Knife to the Heart**

Shifu picked up the rock as Chao inspected the window.

"I don't see anyone." Chao reported.

Shifu found a piece of paper on the rock and pulled it off, reading it aloud.

"'Follow the trail. It will lead you to the forest. Please hurry, it's an emergency.'" He read. "What trail?"

"That trail." Tigress pointed. Everyone looked and saw a glowing white path, like a line of paint, running down the road and into the forest.

"Who's the note from?" Anuli asked.

"No signature." Shifu said.

Siren took a look. "Hey, that looks like the handwriting on Dong's card."

"Should we follow?" Tigress asked. "What if it's a trap?"

"Dong helped us when we were in trouble." Siren said. "I know it could be too early to tell, but I think we can trust him. Besides, if it really is an emergency, who are we to refuse helping those in need?"

It was a little hard to argue with that. So the group took off for the woods. Before running out the door, Anuli managed to shed her skirt and sari so she was only wearing red leggings and her red shirt. Siren still had her fan with her, thankful to have a weapon since she didn't have her staff.

They followed the trail deeper and deeper through the trees. The glowing line took them far down the beaten trail before taking a sudden swerve and leading them down a slope. Most of them went on all fours to avoid slipping and breaking a bone. At the bottom of the slope was a creek. Shifu, who was a good couple feet ahead of the others, used Oogway's staff for a pole vault and went flying over the water.

Out of nowhere, a blast of purple energy shot Shifu out of the air.

"Shifu!" Anuli called as she and the others skidded to a halt.

Shifu tumbled to the ground and landed hard in the creek. He coughed and jumped away as another blast was aimed towards him. Tigress looked to the trees with her cat eyes and saw the panther sorceress, donning black robes and her orbed staff, gliding from tree to tree right towards them. A dozen shadows followed her. Tigress, Chao, Anuli, and Siren stood with Shifu in the creek as the panther smoothly floated down to an old log that was leaning against a tree at a 45 degree angle. The shadows stayed in the trees above them, their glowing red eyes staring hungrily at their prey.

"I have no intention of quarreling with you." The panther said in a smooth voice. "All I want is the little white rat."

Siren stood protectively in front of Shifu. "Not in this lifetime or the next."

The panther laughed. "Do you really think you can beat me? I have my shadows ready to kill on command. If you surrender Shifu to me, the rest of you can go home." No matter how hard they tried to hide it, the residents of the Jade Palace were surprised. "That's right; I know how to get you all home. Do as I say, and you can return there. Unless I'm wrong, aren't your students in danger there?"

"How would you know unless you were the one that sent them?" Shifu growled.

The panther laughed again. "It's all part of the plan." She spun her staff in her paw. "But I've said too much. So I'll ask one more time: will you surrender him now or will you die where you stand?"

There was a pause, and then each warrior responded in their own way. Tigress took a strong stance and unsheathed her claws threateningly. Anuli picked up a stick to use for a staff and held it out in front of her, her fox tail swishing back and forth. Siren opened her fan, holding it above her head as she took a cat stance. Chao put a foot forward and held out a fist, keeping his free hand at his ribs. Shifu spun his staff and held it defensively.

The panther sighed. "Very well. Shadows! Attack the warriors! But leave the rat! He's mine!"

The shadows hissed with pleasure and jumped down from the trees. The panther shot straight towards Shifu. The red panda darted from under the shadows and met the panther head-on. The rest of the warriors leaped in different directions as the shadows landed in a heap where they had been.

The battle was on.

Chao launched his strongest chi attack towards the first shadow, sending the creature flying into a tree. The second shadow swiped his claws at the lizard. Chao bent backwards to avoid them and returned with a punch to the shadow's face. The shadow hissed. He and his companion moved to either side of Chao and dived towards him. Chao rose up on his tail and kicked his legs out. His feet connected with the jaws of the shadows, and they went flying into the creek.

Tigress caught the fist of the first shadow's punch and landed a hard kick to the creature's stomach. She swept at the creature's legs and aimed a strong roundhouse kick to send the shadow into the hole in a tree. The second shadow wielded an axe and swung it down, aiming for the feline's head. Tigress slapped her paws on the blade, stopping it from connecting with her forehead. She knocked out the shadow's knee with an angle kick and aimed a front kick in a very unwanted place. The shadow fell to the ground in pain, but a third took his place. Tigress blocked a double strike from the shadow and aimed some well placed jabs to the creature's chest before planting a double clawed strike. The shadow crashed into the ferns.

Siren swiped her fan across one shadow's face and slashed her nails across a second's. She jumped into the air, spun, and did a split kick. The shadows held up their shields and Siren kicked those instead. She kicked a shadow's feet from under him while blocking a strike from the second shadow. She twisted the second shadow around and sent the two shadows flying. The third shadow swiped at Siren and knocked her off her feet, but she rolled and crouched on her hands and feet. She took a rock in her hand and flung it like a shuriken. It connected with the shadow's forehead and distracted it long enough for Siren to do a flying kick to its chest. Siren spun and kicked the shadow away.

Anuli didn't have as much training as the others. But she had enough. She whacked a shadow on the head with her makeshift staff and spin back kicked it into a rock. Then she blocked an attack from the second shadow and shoved her fist into his neck. The shadow aimed another hit, and Anuli's staff broke as she blocked it. The shadow took her by the shirt and threw her aside. She landed on a rock and took her broken staff in hand. She tossed one end away and threw the other like a javelin. It impaled the shadow into a tree. The third shadow came in, but Anuli landed a few nerve strikes and it dropped to the ground.

The four of them rushed to help Shifu in his battle, but the shadows they had defeated suddenly rose again, as though they had not been hit, and the warriors were forced into battle once more.

Shifu jumped up to avoid another sweep from the panther. He tried to bring his staff down on the sorceress' head, but the black feline raised her own staff to block it. She twisted her staff around and caught Oogway's staff under her arm. She aimed a foot to Shifu's chest, which he caught in his hand. He shoved the off-balance panther away from him, holding Oogway's staff in front of him. The sorceress snarled and launched a chi attack towards the elder red panda. Shifu jumped up and used the energy to get high in the air and land on a tree laying diagonal between two others. The panther leaped high into the air, did a flip, and landed on the log, looking up into Shifu's steely blue eyes.

"Let's stop this now, Shifu." The panther offered. "It would be a shame to kill your friends over our little spat."

"Then stop this now." Shifu ordered. "Take your shadows and leave."

"Not without you, my friend." The panther chuckled.

Shifu jumped up and aimed a hammer kick for the panther's head. The panther grabbed his foot and threw him into one of the trees. He flipped and landed with his feet against the tree and Oogway's staff on the log, keeping him suspended off the ground. The panther kicked Oogway's staff out and Shifu pushed off the trunk, landing softly on the log. The panther kicked back, only to have her strike blocked. She swung her staff around towards Shifu's head. He blocked the attempt with Oogway's staff and struck the panther's hands. The panther yelped and dropped her staff. Shifu used his own peach wood weapon to knock it away. He smacked the panther in the head and slammed the curved end of his staff into her neck, pinning her to the tree. She glared at him with her golden brown eyes.

"Listen to me very closely." Shifu said. "You can leave with your shadows and never bother us again, or you can listen to reason and we can work this out."

The panther laughed lightly, despite being caught by the throat. "Aw, Shifu dearest, your care is so sickening. Do you remember what happens whenever you start caring about someone? Say, your students?"

Shifu's eyes narrowed. "Leave them out of this."

"Or what?" the panther asked in a cocky tone. "Face it Shifu: you can never truly care about someone because it always leads to disaster. Tai Lung is a good example."

Shifu pressed his staff harder against her throat. "Don't you dare." He said through clenched teeth.

The panther smirked. "You love him like a son. You fed him your pride and you know what happened? He turned into a monster. He rotted in jail for two decades and then he tried to kill you. And what about your little kitten over there?" She jerked her head over to Tigress, still fighting the shadows. "She could've become just like Tai Lung. You were always a failure at true love."

"Shut up." Shifu growled.

"Oh I'm not finished." The panther said. "What about that Siren girl? You know she cares about you? But you obviously don't care for her if you keep putting yourself in danger."

"I said shut up!" Shifu snapped.

"You'll never understand what it means to care about someone." The panther said, sounding more and more like a crazy person. "Everyone you care about will die because you had the nerve to ignore the line between master and student." She suddenly grabbed Oogway's staff and pushed it forward. Shifu was caught off-guard and ended up on his back. He pushed back against Oogway's staff as the panther held it horizontally across his chest. The panther leaned in and whispered right in Shifu's ear. "How does it feel to know that you'll always be a failure? To know that everyone you love will eventually turn on you?" Shifu clenched his teeth in frustration and pain, trying to ignore the feline's words. But they kept coming, like a knife to his heart. "I can ease your pain. I can make it hurt less. Surrender yourself to me, and I will make sure your death is quick and painless. I will let your students and allies live."

Shifu stopped struggling, letting the panther pin him to the log. The panther smiled coolly. "That's a good boy." She moved her hand back to a small circle of twine at her belt.

Shifu suddenly shot his foot into the panther's stomach, effectively knocking her off of him and into the air. He swung his staff around like a bat and hit the panther into the bushes and ferns. Shifu jumped down and took a strong stance, practically shaking with fury.

"If you touch them, I'll make you regret the day you were born." He growled.

The panther stood, her fur ruffled with leaves and sticks stuck in it and in her clothes. She picked up her fallen staff, aimed, and fired a blade-like chi attack. Shifu was about to move and dodge it, but the attack sailed over his head. The panther rushed in and slammed the orbed end of her staff into his face. He hit the ground hard, his vision fuzzy. The blade-like chi attack cut through the log that was lying between the trees. The log was cut clean in half and went crashing down towards Shifu. The elder master raised his hands to cover his head.

The log stopped before it could crush him.

Shifu looked up and saw two rock spires jutting from the ground and stopping the log. The panther's eyes went wide.

"Anuli! Now!"

Shifu and the panther looked towards Siren, who had shouted. They were astonished, as were everyone else, when they saw what the girls were doing.

Anuli launched fire from her fingertips, palms, fists, and feet. Every time she hit a shadow, it burst to dust. Siren shot fire at a shadow and then bended the water from the creek to freeze a shadow in a block of ice. She stomped her feet on the ground and boulders shot up so she could kick them into other shadows. She blasted large gusts of air and literally blew shadows away.

"Impossible…." The panther whispered.

Shifu crawled from under the log and rushed in to help Siren and Anuli. But the panther grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, aiming her staff towards his head. He blocked some of her strikes until he was forced against a rock. The panther unsheathed her claws and held them to his neck.

"Let him go!"

The panther turned and saw Siren standing next to her. The girl's hair had fallen from its bun, and she was a mess. But that only added to how angry she looked.

"I'll only ask once more." Siren growled. "Let. Him. Go."

The panther scoffed. "Not a chance; and unless you want his blood to mix with these waters, I'd step back."

Siren almost made a move, but she noticed a faint trickle of blood on Shifu's neck, where the panther's claws pierced his skin. So the human stepped back.

"Just leave him alone." Siren said.

"Or what?" the panther demanded.

"Or you answer to us." Siren countered.

The panther smirked. "Open your eyes, sweetheart; you've lost." Siren turned and saw her father and her friends being held, immobilized, by the shadows. Siren growled and turned back to the sorceress. "My dear, did you actually think you had a chance? Even with your bending skills, you are nothing." The panther chuckled and shook her head. "Why don't you run home?"

"Kind of hard when I don't even know how I got here." Siren countered. _Keep her talking. _She thought. She could feel vibrations from the ground under her bare feet. Something was coming. Whether or not it was an enemy or friend, she didn't know. But Siren did know that she could work it to her advantage.

"You want to go home, don't you?" the panther guessed.

"Yes." Siren said. "So maybe we can make a bargain."

"You can't give me anything of value." The panther droned.

There. The new shadows in the trees. And three sets of eyes. She recognized one set from the rest and gave the slightest of nods.

"I can give you helpful advice." Siren offered.

"Such as?" the panther asked, obviously amused.

Siren smirked. "Look up."

The panther laughed and did so.

Junjie's foot met with her face.

The fox and Shifu darted forward, knocking shadows away and fighting them. Two other figures dropped from the trees: Dong and a hooded stranger. The hooded stranger joined the fight against the shadows while Dong fought against the panther. Siren joined Dong. The panther jumped to her feet and swung her staff around. Dong and Siren dodged the strike and moved in with their own attacks. The cat sorceress found herself dodging and deflecting everything that was being thrown. From Siren, there came fire, water, air, rocks, sand, and misc. earth materials. Dong was casting spells straight towards her: lightning, shrinking spells, explosions, and more.

The panther laughed. "Master Dong, weren't you always the one that said, 'Someday, the pupil will surpass their master.' Perhaps today will be that day."

"You will never surpass me." Dong said. "You are a coward that runs. A shame, really; you held so much potential."

"And you abandoned me!" the panther nearly screamed. "Just like him." She looked towards the battle between the warriors and the shadows. Siren looked, but couldn't follow her gaze to know who she meant.

"You must let go of your anger." Dong said as Siren turned back around. "You can't let this blind you any longer."

"You can't control me." The panther hissed.

"That wasn't an order." Dong said. "That was a plea from a sorrowful master."

The panther snarled. She leaped to the high branches above her. "Shadows! Fall back!" She disappeared into the forest, the shadows following her.

"Coward!" Junjie called. "Pathetic little cat."

"No need to get testy." Dong said.

"You should've restrained her when you had the chance, Father." The hooded stranger, a woman, said. "We would've gotten answers sooner."

"These things take time, my little girl." Dong chuckled.

"I'm not a girl any longer." The woman scoffed.

Chao suddenly froze. He looked towards the hooded woman. "Who are you?"

The opening of the hood turned towards Chao. The woman froze and raised her pale, hairless hands to lower the hood of her cloak.

The woman was identical to Siren: pale skin like snow, hair black as raven feathers, and eyes bright green like a cat's. She wore her cloak along with tan pants, a white vest, and a braided gold rope headband that rest on the crown of her head. That, with her long black hair that swished about, she looked like a princess.

"Ren." Chao breathed.

Siren stared as well. "Mom?"

Ren looked between her daughter and her husband. She smiled softly, fighting back her tears. Siren didn't bother. She let the tears flow down her cheeks as she rushed forward and hugged her mother tighter than she ever had. Ren wrapped her arms around her daughter, remembering how much she had missed the feeling. Chao tried to look dignified as he walked to his wife and child, but eventually broke down and pulled them both into his embrace.

Nobody had time to wonder why Dong had called Ren his daughter. Nor did they know that the panther was angrier than ever and would soon unleash her deadliest of plans. They didn't know that one of the biggest secrets of all time would be revealed soon. They didn't even bother to wonder how Dong, Ren, and Junjie found them.

They were too wrapped up in this precious moment.

**A/N: I'm not gonna cry….I'm not gonna cry…. (turns and sobs for ten minutes straight). Oh come on, you would, too. Hope you guys are liking this! Keep them reviews coming! **


	16. Ch 16 The Great Reveal

**Chapter Sixteen- The Great Reveal**

It was a long trek back to Anuli's house, but nobody had the energy to complain. However, they all nearly collapsed on chairs or the couch once they reached the safety of the living room. Anuli went to cover her broken window with cardboard and fetch some drinks for her guests.

The newly reunited family sat together, the daughter nestled between her parents. The mother gently stroked her daughter's hair with one hand and held onto her husband's hand with the other. The father couldn't stop smiling.

"Your hair is a mess." Ren sighed. She took a brush from the table next to them and started working it through Siren's hair.

"Is now really the best time?" Siren half-laughed, half-whined. "We were just in a major battle."

"Just hold still." Ren said.

"You're tugging too hard on the tangles." Siren pouted.

"Listen to your mother, Siren." Chao scolded gently.

Siren smiled. "Yes Daddy."

Anuli came in with a tray of drinks, Junjie right behind her.

"Alright, I hate to break up the love fest, but we have some serious talking to do." Junjie said as they served them. "We have a problem."

"Really?" Shifu asked in a sarcastic tone. "I didn't notice."

"Oh stuff it." Junjie muttered.

"I'm sure we all have some questions." Tigress said.

"I say we start with a certain pair of girls who have neglected to inform us about their…_talents_." Shifu looked towards Siren and Anuli. Siren shrunk down, like she wanted the couch to swallow her whole. Anuli's fox ears went flat upon her head.

"Siren, why didn't you tell us some of your powers were still with you?" Chao asked.

Siren sighed and sat up. "I didn't want you to worry. And I don't know how these powers stayed with me. But most of them _are _gone; the only powers I have is control of the natural elements around me."

"And what about Anuli?" Dong asked.

"I have no idea how it came to me." Anuli put her hands up. "I just know that I've always had fox ears, a fox tail, and the ability to summon and control fire."

"Interesting." Dong mused. "Are you by any chance related to a demon, perhaps the nine-tailed fox demon?"

"Uh, couldn't tell you." Anuli shrugged.

"Ok, so Anuli's a fire-bending fox girl and Siren can move the elements." Junjie summed it up. "Can we move on? What about Dong? After I found Ren, we ended up in a river and he saved us. Care to explain?"

Dong sighed. "Very well. As you probably guessed, I'm not a normal human. I'm in fact a sorcerer. I was born thousands of years ago, but was given immortality when I passed a test at the magic school I went to."

"Sorcerers go to magic school?" Siren asked.

"How do you think we learn so much?" Dong smirked. "Some choose to study on their own or take an apprenticeship; going to school's a bit more popular choice. Anyway, I graduated with honors, and I came here. I found that panther sorceress, and—"

"Aurora." Shifu said. Everyone gave him a look. "That's her name, isn't it?"

Dong raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Yes, Aurora. She became my apprentice to study magic. She held such potential and strength. I never found out who her parents were or where her home was. She only expressed her amazement for magic and the desire to get stronger. I thought she would grow to be a great sorceress and possibly my successor. But then I met someone that changed that.

"One day, Aurora brought home a raven that some boys had shot down with a toy gun. We tried to nurse the bird back to life, but it was wounded to badly. Then Aurora had the idea to transform the raven to something larger, to better treat the wounds. So we worked together and transformed the raven to a human. Then, we were able to heal the raven and she was back on her feet in a few months. As we cared for her, I developed a strong bond with the raven. She told me her name was Jin." Dong looked towards a shocked Ren. "She was your mother."

Ren stared at the ground. Dong sighed. "That's when things got difficult. Jin revealed that she had laid an egg as a raven. Aurora had retrieved the egg and we cared for it until it hatched. Then we changed the chick into a human baby to better care for it. Jin didn't want to change back, giving the excuse that she wasn't fully healed. But both of us knew we had fallen in love. And I loved you, Ren, like you were my own. I wanted to marry Jin and care for you both."

"So what happened?" Ren asked.

Dong had a pained look in his eyes. "Aurora became jealous. I suppose it's mostly my fault; I spent so much time with you I almost forgot that she needed my training. One night, she snuck into my study and stole some of my books. But those books were of dark magic, which I forbade her to study until she was a master sorceress. Such young minds were not meant to study that strong of magic. I tried to stop her, but she disobeyed me. We had a fight; some nasty things were said. Aurora ran away.

"She caused trouble all over the city, mainly to me. Jin wanted to leave, but I didn't want to let her go. Then, Aurora started messing with shadows. She lost control of a large shadow beast and it attacked me, Jin, and Ren. I couldn't think of anything else to do, so I directed Jin to the portal that leads to your world." He motioned to Shifu and Tigress at "your world". "I tried to stop the beast, but it took me down and went after Jin. I watched Jin through my scrying bowl, and found that Ren had survived. I had been watching you ever since."

"So, I have a sorcerer for a grandfather and a former raven for a grandmother and mom?" Siren summarized.

"Yep." Dong nodded.

"Cool!" Siren nearly squealed.

"It certainly explains how you got your powers." Junjie noted. "They must've 'skipped a generation' and carried fully to you rather than your mother."

"So how did you get here, anyway?" Siren asked her mother.

"When Oogway gave me the vision of you being in danger, he led me and one of the palace doctors, Vixen, through the Moon Pool and to this world." Ren explained.

"Vixen?" Anuli asked. "My mom?"

"Yes, Anuli, your mother." Ren nodded. "We made a small home in the forest near the river and lived there for a long time. Vixen met Anuli's father in the city and eventually married him. Vixen served as a midwife for me when Siren was born. Anuli was born soon after. The two of you were such good friends. But something was hunting me. I never felt safe, and I feared for Siren. So I married that creep Chang to keep us safe. After all, the people that were chasing us would surely suspect I marry someone that would protect us. The attacks stopped.

"When Siren was six, we got caught in that car crash. I don't know where I went; it didn't look like Heaven or anything like that. Oogway came to me often, keeping me sane. Then I wake up in the hospital and start looking for you. I met with the panther, Aurora, in the city once and tried to use her to find you. It didn't end well."

"I guess it did if you're finally back." Siren noted. "Dad almost got hit by a car looking for you."

"I think it was a bicycle, actually." Anuli corrected. Everyone laughed while Chao just groaned.

"Well, glad we have that cleared up." Tigress said. "Now we need a plan to stop Aurora and get home."

"I will gladly help in any way." Dong offered.

"Well, you're the only one that knows how to get us home." Siren said. "We'll need you."

"This Aurora chick sounds crazy." Anuli noted.

"Don't be too hard on her." Junjie said. "I'm sure she has reasons. Didn't she say she just wanted revenge?"

"Against the man that stole her heart." Ren nodded.

"But she also wants Shifu." Anuli said. "Remember our fight in the forest? She was only after Shifu."

"Wait a minute." Chao looked accusingly towards said red panda. "How did you know the sorceress's name before Dong could tell us?"

Shifu suddenly had a guilty look on his face, and this time he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

"No reason…" he muttered.

Everyone was staring at him now. "Shifu, tells us the truth, do you know Aurora?" Tigress asked.

Shifu looked around and sighed. "Yes, I know her very well."

Junjie averted his gaze for a moment. "Shifu, tell them. We'll need all the information we can get."

Shifu pinched the bridge of his nose. "Aurora's my ex-girlfriend."

If it were possible, everyone's jaws would've hit the floor.*

"You had a girlfriend?" Tigress asked.

"And considering marriage." Junjie added.

"Ew." Siren made a face.

Shifu rolled his eyes. "Aurora and I met back in a village my father and I stopped in. Before I knew about her powers and the fact that she was a sorceress, she always had the form of a red panda to match me. For some reason, she became very interested in me. One day, during a raid on the village, I tried to rescue her from a bandit trying to kidnap her. It didn't end well; the two of us fell over a cliff edge and were swept down a river. We managed to get out, but we were lost for a week.

"In that week, we got to know each other better. That's when I found out about her powers and her true form." Shifu smirked a little. "It never changed how I saw her. It wasn't a surprise when we bonded as we journeyed back. When we got there, we spent a lot more time together. Everyone could tell we cared for each other. Then my father took me to the Jade Palace. Aurora moved on to a nearby village. We promised to keep in touch." He chuckled a little. "I swear she wrote to me every day. She kept me up to date with what was happening in the village."

"What happened to her?" Anuli asked.

"She came to visit me once." Shifu explained. "She told me she was going to attend a magic academy to get stronger. We made a promise to keep writing to each other and we'd meet up again. Aurora brought up the idea of an eventual marriage. I laughed then, but I think I was seriously considering it. For a long time, we kept in touch.

"Then, her letters stopped. I waited for a month for her letters, but none came. I wrote to her, hoping for an answer, but I never heard from her." Shifu gazed out the window in thought. "One day, there was word of a village being attacked; it was the same one Aurora lived in. Junjie, Oogway, and I rushed to take care of it. We assumed that it was just a bandit problem. We were wrong. Aurora had gone on a rampage. Her powers had increased greatly, and she was angry. I tried to stop her, but she made it clear that her anger was directed towards me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't calm her down. Furthermore, I wasn't willing to harm her. She, on the other hand, didn't hold back." Anuli spied Shifu subtly rubbing his arm with his fingers.

"I blacked out during the fight." Shifu continued. "When I woke up, we were back in the palace. Oogway had fought Aurora and she fled. I haven't seen her until today."

Everyone was still and silent.

"So, she thinks you abandoned her?" Chao asked.

"That seems to be the problem." Shifu nodded.

Anuli silent stood and walked out of the room. Nobody had time to ask what was wrong before she disappeared out the door.

"I'll be back." Shifu said as he stood to follow her.

"We'll be here." Ren said. "We need a plan."

As the group started talking, Shifu made his way down the hall to the front door. Junjie was right behind him, but the aged master didn't really mind. The two of them opened the door and saw Anuli on a bench swing, slowly rocking it.

"Mind if we have a seat?" Junjie asked. Anuli shrugged and patted the empty seats on either side of her. The two masters sat down, and the three beings stared out at the star-filled sky. Crickets and frogs sang their night song as owls flew about the trees, looking for their prey.

"Something you want to talk about?" Shifu asked.

"I'd like to talk about why you had a girlfriend I never did." Junjie said.

Shifu shot him a look. "I was talking to Anuli."

"I knew that." Junjie smirked.

Anuli cracked the slightest of smiles, but it was brief. "Shifu, what happened to your arm?"

"What?" Shifu asked.

"She hurt you, didn't she?" Anuli clarified. "Aurora, I mean. I could see you fidgeting with your arm."

Shifu had to admit, the fox/human hybrid had very good perception skills. He reluctantly rolled up his sleeve and pushed the fur aside to show her the scar on his arm: four parallel lines running across his forearm, the entire wound surrounded by a burn scar. "She did that to me before blasting me through a wall. That's when I blacked out."

"Some girlfriend." Junjie scoffed.

"Don't blame her." Shifu waved it off. "I think there's much more to it."

"Like what?" Anuli asked.

"Not sure." Shifu shrugged. Anuli went back to staring into the forest. "What are you doing out here?"

Anuli didn't answer for a few minutes. "My parents went down that trail. I haven't seen them in years. I'm so confused and conflicted."

"Why's that?" Junjie asked.

"Everyone's back together." Anuli said. "You'll leave soon for your world." The girl sighed. Her ears were flat and her tail was limp. "I want to go with you."

Shifu stared for a moment. "That was your request." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes." Anuli confirmed. "But I can't. My parents could return any day. What will they say if they find their only child gone? I can't decide if I should leave and risk them finding me gone, or stay and risk never seeing them again." Anuli's nails dug into the bench. "I know they're still alive. They have to be. Nothing can hurt them in the forest."

Shifu and Junjie looked out into the woods. Both knew that Aurora had been in their world when Anuli's parents disappeared, but they couldn't help but feel that something must've gotten a hold of them.

"I understand how you feel." Junjie said. "My parents went into battle one day and were captured by the enemy. It wasn't until years later that I was told they drowned after they had escaped." He sighed. "I was still very young, so I was forced to travel around until Oogway found me."

Anuli was a little surprised to know such personal information. But she felt a little more comfortable, knowing that there was someone that could personally relate to her situation.

"Anuli, why don't you come with us?" Shifu offered. "You're welcome to stay in the Jade Palace. Or maybe Chao will take you in."

Anuli thought about it. Maybe she _could _go. This world she lived in was full of corruption, pollution, killings, wars, and destruction of nature and animals. The world Shifu and Junjie came from isn't like that. Maybe there'd be corruption and a little killing, but surely there was a better life, a more peaceful life, waiting for her. A life where she can be with people that love her; where she can have a good home; where she can learn kung fu and how to be a doctor, like her mother; where people won't criticize her for having fox ears and a fox tail. It had been Anuli's dream since she was very little. She had grown up with a black father and a fox mother who taught her to be strong and be whomever she wanted to be. She loved them dearly.

And that's why she couldn't go.

"I'm sorry." Anuli said. "I can't."

***Imagine Crane's reaction to Po and Tigress's hug in KFP 2. **


	17. Ch 17 Where Danger Lurks

**Chapter Seventeen- Where Danger Lurks**

Anuli was quiet the next morning. Her conversation with Shifu and Junjie rang through her head a thousand times. No matter how much she wanted, she couldn't leave with them. There was still some hope that her parents were alive, and she wasn't going to let go of that hope until she was confident they weren't coming back.

After breakfast, the group split up. Chao, Ren, and Dong went to search for Aurora's castle. Tigress and Shifu searched the city for the sorceress. Junjie opted to stay home with the girls. Siren started tearing through the bookshelf, reading one book after another. Junjie curled up like a cat on the couch and took a nap. Anuli was on the couch too, staring out the window. At one point, Anuli started scratching Junjie behind the ear, and he sighed in pleasure. Siren and Anuli had to stifle a laugh to not wake him.

Siren closed the book she finished and set it down. She sighed. "I'm bored."

"You just tore through half of my bookshelf." Anuli chuckled.

"Yeah, but I want to go outside." Siren said. "I can't stand being indoors for so long."

Anuli looked out the window and into the forest. "Maybe that's a good idea." She looked down at Junjie. "Should we wake him?"

"Yeah, why not?" Siren shrugged. "Cover your ears." Anuli obeyed instantly as Siren raised two fingers to her lips.

Suddenly, Junjie jerked and snored a little. "Shifu, stop putting rocks in my pillow you fluffy tailed tree rat or I'm gonna…" He rolled over and started snoring again.

Siren and Anuli shared a look before Siren whistled loud. Junjie jumped into the air with a shout, landing in a fighting stance. But he relaxed when the girls started laughing.

"Ha ha, very funny." Junjie droned.

They left a note on the counter and walked off down the trail. Being in the shade of the trees and the fresh air helped cool Anuli's nerves.

The walk had gone smoothly until Junjie suddenly slipped and fell down the slope. Siren and Anuli could only laugh as the fox emerged from the bushes covered in leaves, twigs, and mud.

"Just help me!" Junjie snapped. The girls kept laughing as they carefully slid down the slope to him.

"Honestly, I thought you'd have better footing." Siren giggled.

Junjie made a face like he was mocking her. "Anuli, you dropped your hat."

Anuli cocked her head in confusion. "I wasn't wearing a hat."

"Then what's this?" Junjie held up a Red Sox baseball cap, covered in dirt. It looked very old; the red was faded and the logo was peeling off. Anuli stared.

"What's wrong?" Siren asked.

"That's my dad's hat." Anuli said.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR _

"I think it's this way."

"No, we've gone that way."

"I marked that tree with my claws."

"No you didn't, a bear did that."

"A bear?"

"Or a mountain lion."

"Not funny!"

Chao looked at the map, then around at the forest, and back at the map. "We've been going in circles. We'll never find the castle at this rate."

"Ren, can't you remember where it was?" Dong asked.

"I thought I did." Ren turned in a few circles. "Everything looks different in the light."

Dong pinched the bridge of his nose. "Maybe we're better off searching another time. Let's get home." Chao and Ren reluctantly agreed. Suddenly, Chao froze, listening.

"Get down!" He hissed, shoving his companions into the bushes.

"What's wrong with you?" Dong snapped. Chao slapped a hand over his mouth as the three of them heard something coming. They peered from the bushes and stayed still and silent. Something big, black, and growling came down the path. It paused in front of the bush for a moment, then roared and ran off. The group stayed silent for a while.

"What was that?" Ren whispered.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

"We've been this way already!"

"No we haven't. I know we haven't."

"We've gone in a big circle."

"Then we'll go this way."

"But the tracks lead this way."

Junjie studied the ground. The "tracks" they were following weren't humans. In fact, they looked like giant cat prints.

"This isn't a good idea." Junjie said. "We should ask Dong for help. I mean, he knows magic, so maybe he can summon your parents."

"We're gonna find them." Anuli snapped. She silently berated herself for a moment before sighing. "This is the first lead I've gotten in years." She rubbed the brim of her dad's baseball cap, currently resting on her head. "We're going." She started marching through the bushes. Siren and Junjie had no choice but to follow. Suddenly, Junjie paused, his ears flickering.

"Something's coming!" he hissed. The three of them stood back-to-back, facing outward, and looked around. Something rustled in the bushes, circling them, getting closer and closer. The trio prepared themselves for whatever came out.

The creature was getting closer.

The bush right in front of Junjie was shaking.

They braced themselves as….

…a squirrel came out.

The three of them simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close." Siren laughed a little. Junjie and Anuli laughed a little nervously.

The squirrel scampered away.

And a hulking beast dropped down in front of the trio, roaring.

Anuli's tail and all of Junjie's visible fur puffed up, making the fox look like a Pomeranian.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" they screamed.

A poor, terrified mouse darted for cover as three sets of feet came racing by, followed by four paws crashing through the growth. Junjie, Anuli, and Siren jumped over logs and tore through bushes, trying to keep as far ahead of the beast as possible. The beast was a half size bigger than a minivan, with cat-like legs, a muscular bear's body, a lion's head, and a crocodile tail. The mane of the beast was scraggly and tangled, its eyes a heated red, and his mouth had two rows of teeth like knives. The entire creature was pure black.

"What do we do?" Siren shouted as they ran.

"I don't know!" Junjie panted. "Oogway never covered a situation like this!"

Anuli looked back at the creature and then back in front of her. Some vines hung down from the tree branches and she leaped into the air. She grabbed a vine, swung around the tree, and planted her feet into the beast's face. The beast snarled as it swatted Anuli away like she was a fly. Junjie was quick to dart over to the fallen girl and stand protectively in front of her. He jumped as the beast lunged for him, latching himself to the creature's ears. The beast thrashed around and swung its head this way and that, trying to throw the fox off. Siren picked up a large stick and waited until the beast's head was in range. She swung the stick like a bat, successfully knocking a few of the beast's teeth clean out of its mouth. The beast snarled and swung its crocodile tail around, sending Siren flying into the air and crashing into the ferns. The beast rolled onto its back, nearly crushing Junjie beneath its body. Anuli ran forward and pulled Junjie away as the beast returned to its feet.

Anuli's ears flattened on her head and she gave an animalistic hiss. "Back off!"

The beast roared and jumped towards them. Anuli and Junjie ducked as the beast flew over their heads. Siren rushed over to them, covered in leaves, and pulled the foxes along as she ran. The three of them found themselves, once again, tearing through the forest to find a way out. The beast wasn't far behind them.

"Up there!" Junjie called, pointing to the trees ahead of them. Light and blue sky could be seen through the gaps in the trees, like the Heavenly Lights one would see when they die. The three warriors suddenly developed a burst of adrenaline, and they charged for the clearing. The beast was close behind, threatening to bite Anuli and Junjie's tails off. The light was getting brighter, getting closer.

Just as the beast was about to pounce on them, Junjie burst through the trees, pulling the girls with him. The beast skidded to a halt right before it hit the sunlight. The beast snarled and slowly eased itself back into the darkness of the forest.

Junjie, Anuli, and Siren panted and groaned, lying on the grass in front of Anuli's house. Chao, Ren, Dong, Tigress, and Shifu came running out of the house to them. Ren picked up Siren and hugged her close.

"Dear gods in Heaven, what were you doing?" Chao snapped.

Anuli fought to catch her breath, and Junjie patted her back to help. "We were…..just hiking…..found my dad's hat…and something….some beast….." She coughed, her lungs and throat burning.

"Something big and black attacked us." Junjie finished. "Whatever it was, it was wild and intent on killing us."

"Pure black?" Dong asked.

"Yeah." Junjie nodded.

Dong sighed. "That must be the shadow beast Aurora lost control of." He paced a little. "It's been in the forest this whole time?"

"Let's not overreact." Shifu said. "Why don't we go inside and talk." Siren and Anuli had to be helped to their feet as the group retreated to the safety of the house.

That night, Anuli couldn't sleep. She turned one way, and then the other, and then lay on her back. But sleep would not come.

"Can't sleep?" Siren asked.

Anuli sighed. "Oh Morpheus, you have forsaken me."

Siren smirked. "Seems ol' Morpheus is avoiding me as well."

Anuli groaned and put her pillow over her head. "I came so close to finding them."

It was Siren's turn to sigh. "Anuli, it's ok. We'll find them."

"Everything's just so complicated." Anuli said. "We still have to find a way home for you guys. This crazy sorceress, Aurora, will stop at nothing until you guys are eliminated. I want to protect you."

Siren smiled. "Anuli, you don't have—"

They paused as noises could be heard out the door.

"Someone's in the kitchen." Anuli said.

"Maybe someone is getting water?" Siren suggested.

"Maybe." Anuli got up from bed and reached under the bed to grab a baseball bat. "Stay here."

Siren tried to protest, but Anuli was already gone. The fox hybrid slowly and carefully made her way down the stairs and to the kitchen. It was dark, but Anuli didn't dare turn on the lights. Her fox ears swiveled around, searching for any hints of life. She tensed as footsteps could be heard. She swung the bat around her and nearly hit whoever was there. Suddenly, a force connected with her skull, and Anuli slumped to the floor.

Siren jumped at the noise and leaped out of bed, running down the hall quickly and silently. She pressed her back against the wall and peered out from behind the corner. Upon seeing only darkness, she crept from her hiding spot, keeping a strong fighting stance the whole way. But her stance dropped when she saw her friend unconscious on the floor.

"Li!" Siren whispered. She crouched next to her. "Anuli, are you alright?" Siren tried to wake her friend, but suddenly a hand put a cloth over her mouth and another hand grabbed her arm. Siren struggled and fought, but the hands had an iron grip. Siren coughed as a foreign gas entered her mouth and nose. Slowly, her vision started to blur and her muscles relaxed. Then, she passed out.

Chang straightened and put the chloroform covered cloth in his pocket. "Help me get them out." He snapped. "We've got a delivery to make."


	18. Ch 18 Illegal Initiation

_Warning: this chapter contains extreme sexual harassment, violence, language, etc. In other words, this chapter bridges on the Rated M. For those with weak stomachs, please skip this chapter. Or at least the parts with Anuli and Siren._

**Chapter Eighteen- Illegal Initiation**

When you wake up in the morning what's the one thing you don't want to see? How about your one and only daughter and her best friend had disappeared?

Chao was pacing nervously across the floor, his claws tapping across the tiles. Ren looked like she would break down sobbing any second. Junjie was banging his head against a book, muttering curses against himself. Dong had his scrying bowl, frantically searching the forest and the city for the girls.

Suddenly, Shifu and Tigress leaped up onto the deck. Everyone ran out to the small search party.

"They're nowhere in the forest." Tigress reported. "Couldn't find any tracks either."

"I've scoured the city thrice through!" Dong sighed angrily. "How could they disappear?"

"Because we let them out of our sight!" Chao snapped, kicking one of the railings. The small piece of wood snapped clean off the deck and went flying into the trees. Some crows flew from the bush, cawing in anger and surprise.

"No use getting angry over it." Junjie said. "We have to keep looking."

"But what if Aurora has them?" Ren asked fearfully. "We have to rescue them!"

"We can't be sure that they're there." Dong protested. "And it'll be too dangerous to go without knowing for sure that Aurora has them."

"We can't give up!" Ren clenched her fists. "I will not let my daughter be harmed after just returning to her!"

"Ren, calm down." Junjie soothed. "We _will _find them and bring them home. But we can't rush into things or we'll be killed on the spot."

Shifu, who hadn't said a word since returning to the house, slowly walked back indoors and to his room. He set Oogway's staff on his bed and sat cross-legged next to it, taking a few meditative breaths.

_Please. _He silently prayed. _Please watch over them, Master Oogway. Send us a sign. Tell us where Anuli and Siren are. Just make sure they stay safe. _Shifu took a shaky breath. "Help them." He whispered.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Siren shook her head to rid herself of the dizziness. She fought for her senses to fully return so she could see where she was. The only thing she was certain of was that she was very cold. When Siren's senses had fully returned, she looked around her current environment.

She was in a warehouse. A large section of the warehouse, which she was in, was bare except for lights and a carpeted floor. A table was in the corner. A bed was in the middle of the room. Siren's eyes widened.

"Anuli!" she whispered.

Anuli laid face-up on the bed. Her feet were handcuffed to one end of the bed frame and her hands were handcuffed above her head to the other end of the frame. Her ears and tail drooped. And, much to Siren's shock, Anuli was only wearing her underwear and sports bra. Siren looked down and was horrified to see she was only in her undergarments as well. She spied a fire and could vaguely see her and Anuli's clothes burning in it. Siren tried to free herself, but her hands were tied above her head to a rafter.

Anuli turned to her. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." Siren nodded. "Where are we?"

"I've heard of these places." Anuli explained. "They're illegal whore houses." She sighed. "And we're the newest members."

Siren felt sick to her stomach. "I think I remember seeing my stepdad. He sold us as—" She couldn't say the word. "Oh gods in Heaven help us."

"No kidding." Anuli gave a futile tug to her restraints. "But don't worry. We'll get out of here."

"How?" Siren asked.

Anuli opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She closed her eyes in defeat.

"I don't know." she said.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR _

He gently fingered the material, rubbing the smooth fabric. He eyed the color with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Yes, yes this will work wonderfully." He nodded. He folded the dress neatly and held it like it was a newborn child. He continued down the aisle, staring at the other dresses. He spied another dress, hidden amongst the others, and pulled it out. "Perfect." He smiled. He walked up, paid for the dresses and journeyed home, certain that he made the right choice. He laid the dresses out on a couple chairs and stood back to look at them. He imagined how they would look on her, and he couldn't help but smile.

Then, a light caught his eye. He looked at the window and saw a couple butterflies. One was pure black and the other was fiery orange. He walked to the window and the butterflies started fluttering towards the city.

"Very well." He nodded. "Let's go." He quickly packed the two dresses in a box and brought them along.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Siren growled as three young men came into the room, the same that followed her, Anuli, and Tigress into the market before.

"Well now, isn't this a surprise." One boy chuckled sarcastically.

"Let us go now or so help me I'll tear you in half!" Siren snapped.

The second boy made a _tsk tsk _sound. "She'll be hard to break."

"Every girl has to go thru the initiation." The third boy said. "She will follow her friend here." He jerked his head towards Anuli, who gave and animalistic hiss.

"Feisty little things aren't they?" the first boy laughed. The other two joined in. "Well, no time like the present. Let's get started." He picked up a clipboard from the table and a pen. He circled the bed in the middle of the room, staring at Anuli from head to foot. Anuli shot a glare that could kill.

"Nice enough face." The first boy mused, scribbling on the notepad. "Very nice curves and her hips are wide-enough set." He poked at Anuli's legs and arms. She growled. "Good muscle mass. Very healthy. She may go straight to the big leagues."

"How do you know all this medical stuff?" Siren asked, trying to draw the boy's attention from her friend.

"We're in college." The second boy said. "We went to school and learned everything we needed to know. That's how our business gets good."

"We give our customers girls based on the customer's attitude and the health of the girls." The third boy added.

"Going to the top is very special." The first boy said as he finished writing. "It means you're reserved for high-ranking employees, i.e. us." He eyed Anuli's tail and ears. "Her ears and tail are a bit odd."

"I bet her tail has good movement." The third boy said. "Could be useful. And it makes her unique, so she'll be priced higher."

The first boy nodded. "Good observation. It might just work." He wrote something down on the clipboard. "How comfortable are you with not wearing a bra?"

"Touch me and you die." Anuli growled.

The second boy stifled a laugh. "Guess she's not that comfortable."

The first boy rolled his eyes. "She can be trained, like the others. The fact that she's black may put off some people, but her pretty little face ought to draw them away from her skin color."

"Racist, much?" Siren scoffed.

"That's how business works, love." The first boy said. He set the clipboard on the table. "Only one last test, then we can get her a uniform and set her to work."

"I think I know the perfect outfit for her." the third boy laughed.

The first boy smiled as he gazed at Anuli's body, his eyes traveling from her feet up to her head. He slowly eased himself onto the bed to sit on Anuli's legs. He slowly rubbed his hands on her legs, feeling her muscles tense up.

"Leave her alone!" Siren shouted.

"Now, now, relax." The second boy chuckled. "You'll get your turn."

Siren growled. She ran through what elements were present that she could bend with. There was the fire, but her hands and feet were too immobilized for her to bend properly. The only other element that she could think of was air, and she got an idea. Siren took a deep breath in and concentrated. She blew the air out, sending a huge gust of wind the blasted the three boys into a wall. The boys groaned as they stood up carefully. Siren blew a gust of wind again. The boys hit the wall again.

"You alright?" Siren asked Anuli. Suddenly, one of the boys slapped a piece of duct tape over Siren's mouth. Siren tried to get free, but the second and third boy wrapped duct tape over her bonds to better reinforce them. The first boy wiped his mouth and went back to Anuli.

"Let's start again, shall we?" he said. The second boy took some duct tape and put it over Anuli's mouth to keep her from shouting and went back to help the third boy hold Siren in place. The first boy returned to his position sitting on Anuli's legs. He ran his hands across her legs, feeling the smoothness of her skin and the tension of her muscles. He moved up her body slowly, inch by inch. The boy caressed Anuli's hips, rubbed her back, pressed his fingers between her shoulder blades to thrust her chest up. He kissed her in various places: on her stomach a few times, on her ribs, on her uncovered chest. He kept caressing and kissing, moving up Anuli's body until he was lying on top of her, kissing her neck and nipping at it with his teeth. Anuli growled and swung her head enough to bump the boy's head away. The boy jumped, but shook it off. He went back to rubbing Anuli's back, pushing her chest up towards him. He fingered with the fabric of her bra.

"It's in the way." He muttered. He pulled a switchblade and, in one quick slice, tore open the bra.

Anuli had enough. She quickly thrust her pelvis up and threw the boy off of her. He tumbled to the ground, the knife clattering away. Anuli gave a smug look, despite the tape on her mouth.

The boy looked furious. He suddenly ran up and took Anuli's throat in his hand.

"Look here, I don't take well to your kind of attitude." The boy snarled. "You can either cooperate, or we can show you what happens when we get a girl we can't use."

Anuli said something, but it was muffled.

The boy took the tape and ripped it off. Anuli bit back a cry at the sudden pain.

"What was that, sweetheart?" the boy asked, releasing his hold on her neck.

Anuli took a breath and locked eyes with the boy. "I said….." she smirked. "Go to hell you damn fool."

The boy's eyes widened and then narrowed in fury. He tightened his grip on Anuli's throat. Anuli gasped and coughed. She tried to pry his hand off, but her hands were still attached to the bed frame above her head.

"Hey, we don't want her dead yet!" the second boy said.

"If we can't use her, we throw out the trash." The first boy said as he continued to strangle the girl.

Siren struggled against her bonds. She connected eyes with Anuli, deep dark brown with bright electric green. Anuli's eyes were full of desperation.

Siren couldn't tell what happened next. Her subconscious retreated into unconsciousness. But the outside of her began to change. The boys jumped back as Siren changed.

Her nails grew into talons. Feathers, black as night, dotted her skin like strange spots. Her eyes glowed red and her hair turned to feathers that sprayed out of her head. Large bird wings sprouted from her back. Her bonds broke and fell away. Siren screeched, spreading her wings and sending gusts of wind towards the boys. The boys jumped back. Anuli gasped at the sudden rush of air and stared in shock at her friend.

Siren leaped towards the boys. The scattered as she chased them, snapping her teeth at them and batting them into walls with her wings. She swiped her claws, tearing their clothes. She grabbed the first boy and threw him into the table, breaking it. The other two boys rushed in, only to be smacked away. Then, the first boy took a broken table leg and ran up to Siren. He swung the table leg like a bat, hitting Siren across the head. Siren slumped to the ground, and the first boy hit her again to fully knock her out.

Siren could hear Anuli shouting for her and the boys surrounding her, but she was out cold in a few seconds.

The boys watched in amazement as Siren transformed back to her human form. The first boy wiped his bloody nose. "Well that's new. Remind me to find Chang and shoot him for this."

"No kidding." The second boy growled. He looked towards Anuli. "What do we do with them?"

"We kill them." The third boy said. "They're no use to us now."

"Such a shame." The first boy sighed. "They're pretty little things. Take care of the bird freak and I'll get the black." He walked over to the bed and climbed on, sitting on Anuli's stomach. He pressed the table leg against Anuli's neck, resuming the choke. Anuli fought and struggled, but her efforts were futile. She looked on helplessly as the second boy pulled Siren upright by her hair and pushed her chin up, exposing her throat. The third boy scooped up the switchblade and moved to slit her throat. Anuli felt her energy ebbing away and darkness invaded her vision.

There was a crash.


	19. Ch 19 A New Friend

**Chapter Nineteen- A New Friend**

Anuli coughed as the pressure was released from her throat. She blinked her eyes a couple times and watched in awe as the three boys jumped away in fear. She felt long feathers covering her body. The feathers were white with red and black eyespots. She followed the feathers to their owner and saw a peacock, white as snow, with silver robes and metal talons attached to his feet.

"If you touch them, I'll murder you." The peacock hissed.

"Who are you?" the first boy snapped.

"Your worst nightmare." The peacock said.

He lunged for the boys. The boys tried to defend themselves, but they were swiftly taken down. Anuli's eyes widened as the peacock pinned one boy to the wall with some throwing knives and slammed the heads of the other two boys together, knocking them out cold. The peacock straightened and turned to Anuli. He quickly shut his eyes to not offend her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine." Anuli nodded. "I feel violated and dirty, but I'm fine. How's Siren?"

The peacock turned and opened his eyes to check. "Alive and out cold."

The boy pinned to the wall growled. "You little son of a—" The peacock slammed a table leg against the boy's head.

"We need to find the keys to those cuffs." The peacock said. He started searching the boys.

"What's your name?" Anuli asked.

"Shen." The peacock said. "Former Lord of Gongmen City. And yours?"

"Anuli." She said. Anuli suddenly felt something brush her fingers. She reached to touch it again, and she sighed. "Don't bother looking for keys."

"Why?" Shen asked.

"These are fake handcuffs." Anuli groaned. "They're toys. Come over here."

Shen was hesitant. "I don't think I should—"

"Just do it." Anuli said. "I'll cover up as soon as I can." Shen turned, but kept his eyes on Anuli's hands.

"What do I do?" he asked.

"See the little lever right there?" Anuli asked, pointing to it as best she could. Shen nodded. "Push down on it, and the cuffs will loosen." Shen obeyed, the cuff sprang open. Anuli turned and freed her other hand, rubbing her sore wrists. Shen turned around as Anuli freed her ankles and took the sheet off the bed to cover herself with it.

"Don't use that." Shen said. "I have something better. Get Siren and we'll get out of here." Anuli nodded and scooped up her friend in her arms. Shen helped the two out the window and into an alley. He reached behind a dumpster and pulled out the box with the dresses. Siren was beginning to wake up.

"Where are we?" she murmured.

"Don't worry about it." Anuli said. "We're safe, and getting some new clothes."

Siren stood unsteadily, but shook her head to get rid of the dizziness. Shen handed each girl a dress and they quickly pulled them on. Then they looked at themselves and twirled around a bit. Anuli's was a spaghetti strap sundress, red with pink flowers. Siren's was a simple short sleeved dress, green with bamboo designs.

"These are cute!" Anuli smiled.

"Yeah." Siren nodded.

Shen smiled. "I'm glad you like them. I'm glad I bought two. Now come with me. It's not safe here."

"Where are we going?" Siren asked as they followed him.

"To my home." Shen said. "Now stay close to me. I've heard about this panther sorceress, and I won't let you get hurt." Siren and Anuli were silent as they followed Shen through the city. They journeyed into the forest and to a small house on the river. Shen led them inside. Looking around, they discovered it was a one room hut with a small cooking area in a corner and a bed against the wall. A fire burned in the fireplace, sending comforting warmth throughout the tiny home.

"It's not much." Shen shrugged as he came inside. "But it's home. I think there's some extra bedding somewhere. You can look while I cook dinner."

"You really don't have to do that." Siren said. "We should get back to our friends."

"No, please, I insist." Shen said hurriedly. "You need to stay here, where it's safe. I don't trust you to be outside when it gets dark." He pulled a wok from a cabinet. "Besides, I have a plan, and I want you two to be a part of it."

Anuli and Siren exchanged glances, not fully sure what to do. Here was a stranger, a prince, who had come to rescue them. He saved their lives, gave them clothes, and seemed to know who they were. He wanted them safe; wanted them to stay. Meanwhile, their friends were back at Anuli's house, most likely worried sick about the girls. But something drew them to this Shen person.

Anuli walked to a closet and found a spare bedroll, blanket, and pillow. She and Siren pulled them out and set up the bedding next to the bed already made. Shen started cutting vegetables and throwing them into the wok. Siren came over to help while Anuli tended to the fire.

As Siren and Shen cooked, something happened; something foreign to the both of them. Shen had received a small painting of Siren so he would know what she looked like. But now that he could see her with his own eyes, he couldn't help but think that the painting didn't do her justice. In fact, Shen thought Siren was much more beautiful in person. He found himself staring at her fair face, her obsidian hair that flowed down her back, her bright green eyes that glittered like emeralds in the sun. Shen had to duck his head when Siren looked at him to avoid being embarrassed. But Siren didn't mind. She saw Shen as a peacock, not in his human form. She, too, admired Shen's looks: his plumage that was white like the moon, his long flowing train that sported those intricate eyespots, his eyes that were red like rubies. When Shen reached for a spoon to stir the food, his primary feathers brushed against Siren's hand. Both of them shared and look and went bright red.

Anuli stole a glance and smirked. "So, Shen, how did you come to this world?"

Shen jumped a little, but calmed himself. "I'm not sure. In truth, I'm supposed to be dead. But Master Oogway came to me and told me I was to find you two and help you. In the process of sending me to this world, it seems I have become younger as well."

"Lucky." Siren scoffed. "Me, my dad, Shifu, and Tigress came here via a water-filled tunnel."

Shen and Anuli laughed. But then Shen froze. "Shifu and Tigress? As in the ones from the Jade Palace?"

"Yeah, why?"

Shen sighed. "No reason."

Siren and Anuli were a little suspicious, but they waved it off as dinner was finishing. Each served some food for themselves and sat down around the fire to eat. As they ate, the trio began talking. Shen told stories about his past and how he got burn scars on his feet. Siren told about her adventures with Jiao-long. Anuli told some funny stories from her childhood. That started the sharing of funny stories from everyone's pasts, and they began laughing.

After dinner, Shen put the dishes in the sink and Anuli helped wash them. Siren yawned.

"I'm exhausted." She said as she rubbed her eyes.

"Same here." Anuli nodded as she finished.

"Then go to sleep." Shen chuckled. "The beds are already made."

"Where will you sleep?" Siren asked.

"Over by the fire." Shen said, walking to said place. "I can curl up right here."

"You really don't have to do that." Anuli said.

"I want to." Shen assured. "Just get some rest."

Siren and Anuli tried to argue, but Shen wouldn't hear of it. That, and the fact that they were too tired to do much else. So each girl climbed into a bed and was soon fast asleep. Shen watched them for a few minutes before his eyes fully settled on Siren. He felt an overwhelming urge to brush her face with his feathers, but he couldn't bring himself to do it after what the girls had been through. So he settled himself down and fell asleep with happy thoughts in his skull.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Ren stared out the window, her eyes glued to the driveway. Chao came in and sat next to her, placing an arm around her shoulder. That's when she broke down and silently cried into his shoulder. Chao refused to show it, but he felt the same way. Dong was right outside the door, his head bowed in sorrow. Tigress, finding no peace in meditating, went outside to train in the forest. Junjie was on the deck, staring into the night sky. Shifu came up and leaned on the railing.

"I'm an idiot." Junjie muttered.

Shifu sighed. "Junjie, we were all asleep when it happened. How could we know that the girls would be taken?"

"Not that." Junjie waved it off. He sighed. "From the moment I met Anuli, I felt an urge to keep her safe, to care for her. And now she's been taken, when I told myself I would protect her." He stared at the ground. "I never had a real family, Shifu. I never knew my parents. If I had any siblings, I never met them. My only "family" was you, Oogway, Chao, and anyone else at the Jade Palace."

Shifu nodded in understanding. "We were like brothers."

"Because I could relate to you easier." Junjie said. "Being the same size and all." Shifu rolled his eyes. "But the only other fox in the entire Jade Palace was Vixen. And then she left. I wanted a real family Shifu. Someone that I could relate to." Junjie sighed. "I can relate to Anuli. You and I both know her parents will never come back from that forest. And I want to be the one she turns to for help." Junjie took off his glasses and cleaned them with his shirt hem. Shifu couldn't help but noticed the unshed tears in the fox's eyes.

"You want to be her father." Shifu guessed.

Junjie only nodded. "Why do you have to be so wise all the time? It gets annoying." Shifu rolled his eyes again and gave Junjie a shove.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

_Shen shook with terror as the raven demon towered over him. He tried to get up and fight, but his muscles refused to work for him. The raven screeched, the sound making his ears ring. The beast reared up on its hind legs, its talons aimed for Shen's throat. The beast came down and…_

"Shen! Wake up!"

Shen bolted upright and panted, staring into Siren's worried eyes. Those glittering emeralds calmed him down, but then the two of them realized that Siren's nose was brushing against Shen's beak. They drew back quickly.

"Aw, don't you two look cute." Anuli giggled.

They shot the fox girl a glare, but Anuli kept laughing. They sat at the table and ate leftovers from dinner for breakfast.

"So what's our plan for today?" Siren asked.

"I think we should go into town." Anuli said. "Find the others."

"Not the best idea." Shen shook his head. "Besides, I have a plan to capture this sorceress."

"Why would you want to do that?" Anuli asked.

"She knows magic." Shen explained. "And we all need to get home. If we capture her, we can make her tell us how to get home. Then we can find your friends and all go back to the world we belong in."

Siren and Anuli shared a look and nodded.

"So what's the plan?" Siren asked. Both she and Anuli got a little nervous at Shen's devious look on his face.


	20. Ch 20 Zoo Adventure

**Chapter Twenty- Zoo Adventure**

"Shen, if we die I'm gonna kill you!" Anuli screamed.

"Less talking, more running!" Shen snapped.

The three of them jumped as another fireball blasted the spot they were just in. The panther sorceress Aurora snarled as she sent wave after wave of attack as the trio ran through the city. The people who casually walked around didn't do anything. Whatever they saw seemed harmless; some people even took out umbrellas. Meanwhile, Aurora's attacks barely missed them.

"Doesn't anyone have a plan so we don't get blasted into dust?" Siren yelped as a ball of energy whizzed past her head.

"Working on it!" Shen assured as he frantically searched for a detour. "This way!" He led the girls down an alley and over a fence. Aurora roared and blasted through the fence. Shen and the girls kept running until they reached a grove of trees. They hit a fence as they ran and quickly climbed it. They managed to get over and hid amongst the bushes and trees. Aurora landed hard, kicking up dust. The panther sorceress growled low and scanned her surroundings. With a snarl of anger and discontent, she stalked off and out of sight. The trio waited a few minutes before emerging.

"That was way too close." Siren panted.

"No kidding." Anuli agreed. She slapped Shen upside the head. "What kind of plan was that?"

"It went a lot smoother in my head." Shen grumbled.

"What's that?" Siren pointed through the trees. The three of them walked from the grove and found themselves surrounded by people, many of them families or young children with teachers. Pathways led in many directions. The décor resembled a jungle. Animals in pens went about their business as the people looked and took pictures.

"A zoo!" Anuli exclaimed. "My parents used to take me here all the time!"

"Let's keep moving." Shen urged. "Blend in with the crowd." Siren and Anuli nodded and followed the peacock further into the park. They stayed to the more sheltered areas of the zoo or hung around large groups of people. Siren and Shen didn't seem to like the sight of the animals in their pens. Anuli explained to them the purpose of zoos; how they fought to protect animals that are affected by habitat destruction and poaching.

"They kill animals for money?" Siren said, horrified. "How can someone's skin be worth so much money?"

"When it's the scales, fur, or feathers of an animal, easy." Anuli muttered.

"Destroy their homes so humans can live there instead." Shen breathed. "Do they not realize how beautiful these places are? Do they not realize what they're wrongfully taking away?"

"You think they care?" Anuli growled. "There are many humans that support animals' rights and try to preserve their way of life. But then there are people who couldn't care less; all they want is money. Money from building houses where there was once a rainforest or putting a rare tiger's fur on a dress."

"Despicable." Siren growled. "To think I'm supposed to be one of them."

"Your species does not define who you are." Shen assured. Siren gave a little smile. Shen found himself mesmerized by her glittering eyes. Suddenly, the three of them stopped at a terrible sight.

They were near the tiger pit. Over the waist-high wall and in the pit was a large pool with a waterfall. The dry land was grassy with a few large trees for shade and some bushes. Five tigers were in the pit. The adult was lying in the grass, basking in the sun. A litter of four tiger cubs were nursing. The mother kept snarling as rocks flew towards her. The rocks were being thrown by a couple boys at the barrier between the pit and the people. The boys kept throwing rocks at the mother tiger, who refused to move because she was trying to protect her cubs.

"Creeps." Anuli muttered. One boy took a good size rock and threw it as hard as he could towards the cubs. The mother moved to block the rock, which hit her in the head. The tiger snarled in pain and anger.

The boy that threw the rock laughed with his friends and picked up another rock. But before he could throw it, a hand took a hold of his wrist. He followed the hand and stared at Siren.

"What do you want?" the boy snapped.

"I want you to stop hurting that innocent mother." Siren ordered.

"Or what, Fancy Girl?" the boy laughed. His friends joined in, until Siren slapped the boy, planted her knee into his stomach, and then front snap kicked him in the nose. The boy went flying backwards and onto the ground, holding his bleeding nose. He and his friends ran off in panic.

"Nice moves." Anuli complimented.

Siren smirked with pride as she, Shen, and Anuli turned back to the tiger mother. The mother looked at them and smile. She roared happily.

"Thank you, young ones!" she cried.

Siren, Shen, and Anuli waved in response and moved on.

"Well done." Shen nodded. "You did a good thing."

"It was the least I could do." Siren shrugged.

Suddenly, an explosion rang through the air. The three of them spun around and saw Aurora in the trees, her staff smoking from a recent attack.

"Hiding, are we?" Aurora smirked. "Like the cowards you are."

"I'll show you a coward!" Siren snapped, throwing a stick in the panther's direction. Aurora easily caught it and threw it aside.

"Such a temperamental little human." Aurora tsked. "You must get that from your father." Siren hissed like a cat. "And your feistiness from your mother."

"What would you know about my parents?" Siren growled.

"I know a lot about your parents." Aurora chuckled. "Got to know them pretty well when they came to fight me."

Siren tensed up. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, after you disappeared, your little friends came after me." Aurora taunted. "They thought I had taken you. I must say they looked so determined to save you. However, they underestimated me." Aurora chuckled. "Oh, the looks on their faces when they realized you were never at my castle. Priceless."

"What have you done to them?" Anuli growled.

"Both of you stand down." Shen hissed, but he was ignored.

"Your parents will be the first to fall when I rule this world and the world you came from." Aurora declared. "But first, let me give you a taste of my power." Aurora sent another blast. Shen, Anuli, and Siren dived in different directions.

"Siren!" Anuli called. "Use your powers! Let's show this crazy cat lady how it's done!" Siren nodded. She slammed her foot onto the ground, sending a large chunk of rock into the air. Siren jumped, did a spin kick, and sent the rock flying towards Aurora. The sorceress jumped from the tree. She landed softly on the ground as Anuli launched a stream of fire from her foot, but Aurora spun her staff to block it. Shen threw one of his knives, but Aurora caught it.

"How cute." Aurora smiled. "And boring. Let's make this a little more interesting, hm?"

Aurora slammed the end of her staff onto the ground. A circle of energy spread throughout the zoo. As it did, the pens that kept the animals inside suddenly developed easy ways to get out. Animals suddenly came pouring out, and the guests that were walking about the zoo went into panic.

"Try this on for size!" Aurora laughed as she disappeared in the panic.

Anuli ducked as a flamingo went flying over her head. "Now what?"

"Follow Aurora." Siren ordered. "Don't hit the people and avoid the carnivores."

The three of them ran off after Aurora. They dodged people, overturned benches, and fleeing animals. A brown bear almost hit them, but they swerved out of the way. A few giraffes were munching on the leaves of the trees, and the trio had to weave between the tall animals' legs. Then, as they were running, Anuli slipped and went tumbling down a slope and into the meerkat exhibit.

"You alright?" Siren called.

"I'm fine!" Anuli shouted back. "Keep going!"

Siren was hesitant, but nodded and kept going. Shen was right beside her the entire way. They followed a trail of destruction, searching for any sign of the sorceress. But she was nowhere to be found. Eventually, the two of them stopped, panting.

"I wish she wasn't so dark." Siren said. "She'd stand out easier."

"We can't give up." Shen said. "Where would she be?"

They jumped as a bolt of lightning struck the spot they were standing in not ten seconds ago. They spun around as Aurora came from the trees, launching more attacks at them. Siren looked around and saw that they were near the dolphin, walrus, and otter pens. She smirked.

Aurora's eyes widened as a tidal wave came right towards her. She tried to block it, but Siren bended the water around the panther, capturing the sorceress in a sphere of water. Siren concentrated hard, and the water froze into solid ice.

"Well done, Siren." Shen complimented.

"Not bad, huh?" Siren smiled.

Suddenly, the ice began to crack. Siren and Shen jumped away as the sphere burst, and Aurora threw fire in their direction. Siren, being a fire bender, easily redirected the attacks and sent some of her own right back. The two girls came at each other with fists, feet, and fire, each trying to subdue the other. Meanwhile, Shen carefully snuck around the battle until Aurora's back was to him. Then, swiftly and silently, he pounced, knocking her knees from under her and putting his curved sword to her throat. Aurora instantly ceased her attacks. Siren glared hard.

"Now you're going to free my parents and help us get home." Siren ordered.

"Or what?" Aurora demanded.

"Or we slit your throat." Shen hissed. "Your choice."

"You wouldn't kill me." Aurora taunted. "I'm the only one that knows how to get you home. I'm also the only one that can control those shadows. Without me, they'd go wild, and I assure you that many people could get hurt." Shen and Siren shared a look, both realizing the truth in the panther's words. "Besides, it's not like you could defeat me."

Instantly, Aurora turned into smoke and gently floated away from the pair. She rematerialized in midair and shot another blast of energy. Shen and Siren jumped away, but not before vines could shoot from the ground and immobilize them. Sand enveloped Siren's hands and feet to stop her bending.

"You two are pathetic." Aurora laughed. "To think you actually thought you could beat me. I am the greatest sorceress in this world and the next! Nothing can stop me!" She aimed her staff for the peacock and human before her. "Nothing will stop my revenge."

Siren hissed like a cat, her struggling futile. Shen gently took her hand in his wing and gave it a squeeze.

"We're not afraid." Shen said.

"Not by a long shot." Siren added.

Aurora smirked. "Your funeral." She raised her staff.

A loud sound, like a trumpet, rang through the air.

Shen, Siren, and Aurora tried to steady themselves as the ground shook.

"INCOMING!"

Aurora turned and yelped as she jumped away. A large elephant trampled the spot she was just in as it ran past. Riding atop the elephant, behind its head, was Anuli. She stopped the elephant in front of her friends.

"Hey guys!" Anuli waved. "I got us a ride!"

"You're crazy!" Siren laughed.

Anuli laughed back and shot fire from her fingertips, releasing her friends. The elephant reached down her trunk and lifted the two beings onto her back with Anuli.

"So who's your friend?" Shen asked.

"Guys, meet May belle, one of the largest female elephants in the zoo." Anuli introduced. May belle the elephant trumpeted in response.

Aurora snarled and sent a blast of fire. Anuli was quick to redirect it. "May belle, let's go!" she urged. The elephant started her stampede once more, almost squashing Aurora under her feet. May belle continued to run about the park, out the doors, and into a forest. Siren, a little afraid, found herself gripping Shen's robes in her fists. Shen patted her hands comfortingly. The group didn't stop until they reached a small mountain. Then May belle helped them to the ground.

"Thanks May belle." Anuli said, petting the elephant's trunk. May belle gave a final wave with her trunk before lumbering off into the forest.

"Will she be alright?" Siren asked.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Anuli nodded. "She is the largest land mammal on earth."

"Girls, you might want to come see this." Shen called. He was several yards away, staring at the mountain. The teenagers jogged over and followed his gaze. They, too, became wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

Jutting from the side of the mountain and looming over them like an ominous shadow, was a huge black castle.


	21. Ch 21 Former Enemies Clash

**Chapter Twenty One- Former Enemies Clash**

Shifu ducked as a sword nearly took his head off…again. He swiped the legs from under his opponent and kicked him away. Tigress snarled as she threw one shadow into another. The two fought and ran at the same time, trying to shake off the shadows chasing him. Suddenly, a shadow in the shape of a bear tackled Tigress and sent the two of them tumbling into a nearby river. Shifu ran along the banks after them. He ran ahead to some rocks that poked out of the water. He leaped across the waters and landed on one. He waited patiently until the struggling shadow and tiger were close enough. Then he took Oogway's staff and slammed it on the shadow bear's head. The beast snarled and let go while Tigress took a hold of Oogway's staff. Shifu dug his heels into the stone at his feet to avoid being pulled off. They watched as the shadow was swept away. The remaining shadows slunk back into the forest, hissing. Shifu and Tigress waited a few minutes before returning to the shore.

"Are you alright?" Shifu asked.

"Fine." Tigress nodded. "You?"

"Fine." Shifu said. Tigress noticed a tear in his robes and her eyes widened at the sight of blood soaking into the fabric.

"You're bleeding!" she said.

Shifu reached up and touch the cuts on his shoulder. He pulled back his hand and saw blood. "Hm. Guess I am."

"We need to dress it or something." Tigress said.

"I'm fine." Shifu snapped. "It's just a scratch."

"Master Shifu, that's not just a scratch." Tigress insisted as she examined the cuts. They looked deep.

"I'll be _fine._" Shifu growled. Tigress recoiled slightly at his tone. Shifu glared at the ground and pulled his wrap tighter around the wound. No way was he going to admit that the cuts were like being stabbed with a thousand needles. "We should keep moving."

Tigress only nodded in response and followed her master through the woods. Their plan to rescue Siren and Anuli from Aurora's castle had ended miserably. For one thing, they discovered that the girls were never at the castle to begin with. For another thing, they had to fight with Aurora to escape.

Not everyone made it out.

Tigress clenched her fists. Chao, Ren, and Dong had been captured while they were escaping. Who knows what could happen to them? Tigress didn't want to know; she was afraid of Siren becoming like her. An orphan….

The two of them tensed up when they heard footsteps, but they relaxed when they saw Junjie. The fox had twigs, leaves, and a few thorns stuck in his clothes and fur from his tumble down the mountain.

"You two alright?" Junjie asked, out of breath.

"Shifu's hurt, but I'm fine." Tigress said.

"I'm _not _hurt…much." Shifu grumbled.

"What happened?" Junjie asked. Shifu reluctantly showed the cuts on his shoulder. Junjie's eyes widened and he pulled some bandages from his sleeve.

"You keep bandages with you?" Tigress asked.

"Some keep knives, some keep dominoes, I keep bandages." Junjie shrugged as he dressed Shifu's wound. The fox stared at the scratches for a minute. "What scratched you?"

"The shadows." Shifu answered. "Can we just keep moving?"

Junjie tied off the gauze. "I think you need a doctor for that or something. The wound looked a little…black."

"It's nothing." Shifu waved it off. "Let's get back to the castle."

"You want to go _back _to that crazy chick's palace of craziness?" Junjie asked.

Shifu raised an eyebrow at his friend's description. "Yes. We have to help Chao, Ren, and Dong."

Junjie and Tigress shared a look before following Shifu through the forest.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

"That's Aurora's castle." Siren said. "It must be." She started running towards said castle. "Come on!"

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Anuli said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to find my parents." Siren said. "If Aurora has them, I'm going to save them."

Shen and Anuli had a hard time keeping up. "Siren, you can't just rush in there without a plan." Shen said.

"I have a plan." Siren said. "I'll use my bending powers to break them out and then beat Aurora into dust."

"Siren, stop!" Anuli commanded. The three of them skidded to a halt. "Siren, listen to me. I understand what it's like to worry about your parents. But Shen's right, we can't go in there without a plan."

Siren glared, but eventually accepted defeat. "Then what do we do?"

"I say go with stealth." Shen said. "Your bending skills can get us in without being spotted. We'll go in, get your parents, and get out."

"Any guards that cross our path will be taken down." Anuli added.

Siren seemed unsure. "What if it doesn't work?"

"Why wouldn't it work?" Anuli asked.

"Because anything can happen!" Siren snapped. "They could be dead already and all we're doing is talking!" She immediately stopped talking when she saw her friends' hurt and shocked expressions. Siren slumped to the ground. "I can't lose them….."

Anuli crouched next to her friend and patted her shoulder. "They'll be fine."

"Siren, I will personally go there alone and bring them back." Shen said. "No one else has to get hurt. If this is going to work out, we'll have to cooperate with each other. Is that clear?"

"What if you get attacked?" Anuli asked.

Shen drew his sword. The blade glinted wickedly in the light. "I'm prepared."

"_SHEN!" _

_WHAM!_

Siren and Anuli jumped as a white and brown streak crashed into Shen and sent the two being tumbling in the dirt.

"Shifu?" Siren was appalled. Tigress suddenly darted past them, going straight for the battling peacock and red panda. Junjie appeared next to them, pulling the girls into a hug.

"Thank gods you're alright!" he sighed.

"We're fine!" Anuli nodded. "But we have to stop them!" She pointed to Tigress and Shifu, still battling with Shen.

Shen went on the defensive, trying to keep the two fighters off him. But when he went in to attack, he realized who he was fighting: Grandmaster Shifu and Master Tigress, looking furious. Shen knew that if he fought back, he'd be considered an enemy. Well, he was already considered an enemy, but he had to let them know he didn't mean it. So the next time he had a breather, Shen sheathed his sword.

"I don't want to hurt you." Shen said, holding up his wings.

"Yeah, like how you didn't want to hurt Po." Tigress snarled. "You will pay for harming him!" She leaped for Shen's throat. The peacock ducked and watched as the tiger master hit the bushes. Shifu moved in, swiping at Shen's legs with Oogway's staff. Shen jumped over Shifu's head and landed to face the red panda.

"Please believe me!" Shen pleaded. "I'm not who I once was."

"Then why did you kidnap Siren and Anuli?" Shifu demanded as he continued his attacks.

"I didn't!" Shen insisted, dodging the master's onslaught. "I saved them!"

Shifu obviously didn't believe him. He kept coming with his ruthless attacks. Shen, meanwhile, kept moving backwards to dodge the master's attacks. Eventually, Shen's back hit a tree. Shifu slammed the crook of Oogway's staff into Shen's neck, pinning the bird there. Shen, finally snapping, swiped Shifu's feet from under him with his train. Shifu fell to the ground and Shen leaped away. He ducked as Tigress sailed over his head once more.

"I don't want to hurt you!" Shen snapped. "I want to help you!"

Tigress snarled and slashed her claws. Shen narrowly avoided them, but Shifu jumped on his back. Shen found himself pinned to the ground with Tigress looming over him.

Siren, who had been frozen in shock and fear, suddenly came to her senses and ran forward. She kicked Tigress away and tackled Shifu. The red panda and human tumbled and rolled until they hit a tree.

"What was that for?" Shifu demanded.

"Shen saved my and Anuli's lives!" Siren said quickly. She explained, reluctantly, everything from being kidnapped by her stepfather until that moment. Tigress and Shifu were shocked silent.

"That's utterly repulsive!" Tigress shivered. "But how can we trust him?"

"_I _trust him." Siren emphasized.

"Me too." Anuli agreed. "We'd be dead without him. And he did get us some new clothes." She gestured to the dresses she and Siren wore. "Our old ones were burned."

Shifu cast a glare towards Shen, who bowed reverently. The elder master sighed. "He makes one wrong move, and he'll have me to answer to. And I _will not _be merciful."

Shen nodded, keeping his bow until Siren motioned for him to rise.

"So what are you doing out here?" Junjie asked.

"Aurora has my parents." Siren said. "We were going to rescue them."

"What a coincidence." Shifu said. "So were we."

"Do we have a plan?" Tigress asked.

"We were going to use my bending abilities to sneak in and get them out." Siren said.

"Aurora will have the place heavily guarded." Junjie noted. "It won't be easy."

"I say we make camp." Tigress said. "Rest for now. None of us are in shape to go running into battle."

"But we can't just sit here!" Siren insisted.

"Don't worry your parents and Dong will be fine." Shifu assured. "Tigress is right; we're all tired and we need rest." Siren opened her mouth to argue, but closed it two seconds later.

About an hour later, a fire was made and everyone was as comfortable as they could get. Shifu was meditating a couple yards from the group. Anuli had fallen asleep, her head on Junjie's lap. Junjie stroked her hair, watching in amusement as Anuli's fox tail twitched. Shen and Siren sat together, staring into the flames. Whenever Shen tried to get closer to Siren, Tigress (who was directly across from them) would growl. Eventually, the tiger master succumbed to her exhaustion and curled up to sleep. Siren did the same, curling into a ball close to the fire. Shen gently stroked her pitch black hair until she was fast asleep.

"You really care for her, don't you?" Junjie guessed.

"And you her." Shen motioned to Anuli.

Junjie smiled. "Well, I want to be a sort of father figure for her. Since her parents may never return. I never had a true family." He looked into Shen's ruby eyes. "What about you? What connection do you have with Siren?"

Shen sighed. "I'm not sure. I just feel different when I'm around her. I feel…at peace. Happy, even. I haven't been truly happy in years; being around Siren makes me feel like that." He gazed into the fire, lost in thought. "I remember the first night the girls were with me. We were telling stories to each other. Siren told me about the stories her mother would tell her when she couldn't sleep. One of them was 'Beauty and the Beast'."

Junjie cocked his head to one side. "'Beauty and the Beast'? I think I've heard of it. How did it go?"

"A beautiful woman, whose father was taken by a beastly creature," Shen told him. "She gave herself to the beast in order to free her father. As the beast and the woman spent more time together, they fell in love. One day, the woman returned home to her father and sisters, as she was feeling homesick. The beast asked her to return in three days. The woman promised. But her sisters begged her to stay with them, so she did. Five days passed, and the woman had a dream that the beast was dying. She immediately returned to him, telling him she loved the beast. The beast came back to life, and in the form of a handsome prince. The prince had been under a spell."

"Only true love could break it?" Junjie guessed.

Shen nodded. "I may have been foolishly guessing, but I could swear she was trying to tell me something." Shen gently touched Siren's face with his feather. "That the beauty was falling in love with a beast."

Junjie sighed. "You're not a beast. You're just different."

"Exactly." Shen nodded. He looked up through the trees towards Aurora's castle. Junjie followed his gaze and looked towards Shen.

"I know what you're thinking, and I think you're crazy." Junjie said.

Shen locked eyes with the fox. "You'll watch over them?"

"We'll be right here waiting for you." Junjie promised.

Shen smiled and darted off into the trees, heading straight for the castle. It wasn't long until another being appeared, running alongside him.

"You're insane." Shifu snapped.

"I don't want Siren or anyone else to get hurt." Shen said.

"Why do you think I'm coming with you?" Shifu asked. "Siren seems to care about you; and you did save her and Anuli. So I'll help you get Chao, Ren, and Dong. But if you make one wrong move, I'll strangle you."

Shen smiled as they ran. "Deal."


	22. Ch 22 Castle Rescue

**Chapter Twenty Two- Castle Rescue**

Shen and Shifu, both being almost all white, had a hard time trying to blend in with the darkness. Shen especially stuck out like a sore thumb. So they relied on the trees and rocks for cover until they reached Aurora's castle. Shifu found himself slightly out of breath by the time they had reached the top; which only made him think about how many times he had been attacked and he felt so weak afterwards. Truthfully, and he would never say this aloud, it scared him. His cuts stung like a snake had bit him.

"You alright?" Shen asked.

Shifu jumped a little, but frowned. "I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"You seemed a little tired." Shen said. "Do you want to rest?"

"No!" Shifu snapped. "Come on." He led the way as the two of them slipped into the castle via window. They hid as some shadows passed them before continuing.

"Where are we going?" Shen asked.

"The dungeons." Shifu whispered as they journeyed farther down. "That's where we checked to see if Anuli and Siren were here. Aura will have put Chao, Ren, and Dong down here."

Shen nodded in understanding. But then he raised an eyebrow. "Who's Aura?"

Shifu blinked. "Aura? I said Aurora."

Shen stared at the master, unconvinced. But he didn't push the subject. They continued down until they reached the doors to the dungeon. But they froze when they heard some people coming. The red panda and peacock looked around before finding the only hiding spot: behind the doors as they opened. Shen and Shifu peered from behind the doors and saw two shadows half-shoving, half-leading a struggling lizard down the hallway.

Shifu moved to help, but Shen pulled him back. Shen put a feather to his beak, and Shifu reluctantly shrunk back into the shadows. He watched with anger as Chao, bound and gagged, was roughly taken down the hall and out of sight.

"We have to help him." Shifu whispered.

"No, you have to find the other two." Shen hissed. "I'll follow him and get him to safety. I'll meet up with you later."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Shifu snapped.

"There's no time for arguing!" Shen snapped back. "I'll find you when I get the lizard. Just find his friends and get out!" Shen ran off before Shifu could argue. Shifu sighed and journeyed into the dungeons. He looked in every cell, searching for any signs of life. But he reached the end of the hallway and saw no one. He went back up to the beginning, but with the same results.

Every single cell block was empty.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Shen was quiet like a mouse, despite his usually noisy metal talons. He kept the lizard (didn't Shifu say his name was Chao?) in sight at all times. If there had to be one thing Shen could give him credit for, it was that Chao was quite the fighter. From what Shen could see, Chao looked like he had been burned, slashed, thrown down the mountain, and then repeated. Yet he continued to fight futilely against his captors. Shen followed them as the shadows led Chao out of the castle and to a ledge overlooking the forest. The shadows started hissing softly to each other, and Shen realized that was how they communicated. One shadow hissed something, but was cut off by his companion. They kept arguing like that until the second shadow gave up. The first shadow seemed to smirk as he shoved Chao to his knees. When Chao still struggled, the second shadow held him in place as the first held out a clawed hand. An axe materialized in the shadow's hands, and he raised it above his head with the express intent of embedding the blade in Chao's skull.

Chao jumped as the shadow with the axe fell dead beside him before it disappeared. A silver throwing knife in the unique shape of a feather was all that remained. The second shadow let Chao go as it charged for the thrower of the knife. Chao managed to turn around to see a white peacock slice the second shadow in half with a curved sword. The peacock came towards Chao and cut him free with the fallen throwing knife. Chao eyed the peacock warily.

"Are you Lord Shen?" Chao asked.

"Former Lord, yes." The peacock nodded. "We should get out of here."

"Why should I trust you?" Chao demanded. "I heard you created a weapon to end kung fu and take over China."

"That Shen died a short while ago." Shen said. "And we don't have time to argue over this. Your daughter Siren is worried sick over you."

"You know about Siren?" Chao asked as he followed Shen.

"I saved her and her friend Anuli." Shen explained. "They can give you the details. Now come on. Master Shifu is going to get Ren and Dong." Chao, upon hearing this, immediately ran to catch up with the peacock. But the two of them only made it halfway to the castle when about six shadows surrounded them. The beasts, with they're glowing red eyes full of bloodlust, snarled as they held their weapons ready.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." Shen droned.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Shifu started to panic. Were he and Shen too late? Ren and Dong couldn't possibly be…..

Shifu growled to himself and looked around. There had to be someone down there. What tricks was Aurora playing?

Then, his ears pricked up. Or was his hearing failing him? No, there it was again.

"Ren?" Shifu asked. "Dong? Where are you?" He listened carefully. He couldn't hear a sound, but he felt drawn to the cell in front of him. He walked forward and reached a hand through the bars. But his hand stopped and hit something solid, like glass. He took a step backwards. Then he spun and planted his foot on the surface. The "glass" shattered into pieces, revealing Ren and Dong on the other side of the bars.

"Thank gods you're here." Ren sighed. "You have to help Chao; they're going to kill him!"

"Shen's taking care of that." Shifu assured as Dong used his magic to break the door open.

"Shen?" Dong asked. "Who's Shen?"

"Long story." Shifu waved it off. "Let's just get out of here." He started down the hallway when a wave of pain shot through him. He gritted his teeth, clutching Oogway's staff for support. Ren was by his side in an instant.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Her hand touched Shifu's wounded shoulder, and a grunt of pain escaped his lips. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Shifu growled. "Let's go."

"Shifu, hold still." Ren ordered. Before he could protest, she managed to pull his collar away and see the bandages on his shoulder. Her eyes widened at the large amount of blood seeping through the bandages. "What happened to you?"

"_Nothing._" Shifu said. "Can we just get out of here?"

"Master Shifu, were you bitten or scratched by one of the shadows?" Dong asked.

Shifu suddenly gained interest in the stones at his feet. "Maybe…."

Dong pulled some of the bandages away and stared at the cuts. The fur and skin surrounding the wounds was black, like it had been stained with ink. "We have to get out of here, now. You need help."

"I'm fine!" Shifu snapped.

"You don't understand!" Dong said as they hurried down the hall. "The claws and teeth of those shadows are poisonous. If you aren't treated soon, you will die by dusk tomorrow."

Shifu and Ren almost stopped dead in their tracks. But Dong pulled them along. They managed to get out of the dungeon, only to be met with a flying sword. The three of them ducked as the sword imbedded the stone where their heads were. They looked to the thrower and saw a group of shadows blocking their path. Dong immediately came forward and launched a fire attack towards them. The shadows burst to dust and smoke.

"Gee, I wonder where Aurora gets her love for fire." Shifu asked sarcastically as they ran.

"Oh shut up." Dong laughed. They kept the same pace as Shifu tried to retrace his steps to where he and Shen came in. But as they kept running, he noticed that his limbs felt like they were being weighed down with boulders; his vision was getting fuzzy. He almost ran into a wall as they rounded a corner. Ren had to steer him away before a torch could fall on his head.

"We have to stop!" Ren said. "We can't keep running like this with you being hurt. Is there any way to heal him now or something?"

Dong looked around. "I need fire. But it has to be pure fire; not something burning."

"What?" Shifu raised an eyebrow.

"Like Siren's fire!" Ren realized.

Dong nodded. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get to Siren."

"There has to be a faster way than running around like headless chickens." Ren said.

Dong thought for a moment. Then, without another word, he punched a wall nearby. The stones exploded at his touch. The hole in the wall opened to a dining room. Dong ran across the room and punched another hole in the wall.

"Men." Ren rolled her eyes.

"For once I agree." Shifu sighed.

The two of them followed Dong as the sorcerer continued to punch down walls until they reached the cool night air of the outside. There was only one problem: the sheer drop to the ground below.

"Now what Father Dearest?" Ren asked.

"Working on it!" Dong said.

Shifu looked for a safe way down, but the vertigo of looking down made him nauseous. His ears instinctively flicked towards a sound coming down the hallway. He looked and could see the golden eyes of a familiar sorceress heading towards them.

"I have an idea." Shifu said.

"What is it?" Dong asked.

"Don't die when you hit the ground." Shifu ordered.

He promptly shoved the two humans out the hole.

**A/N: FYI, I have just enabled anonymous reviews, so if you readers could leave some feedback, that'd be great! Thanks so much! **


	23. Ch 23 Aurora Scorned

**Warning: intense violence, especially at the end! Also, you may want to reread Chapter 2 for a recap of Shifu's nightmare. You don't have to, but you can.**

**Chapter Twenty Three- Aurora Scorned**

Dong and Ren shouted as they fell faster and faster. The ground was getting closer to them by the second.

"Do something!" Ren screamed.

"Like what?" Dong asked.

"You're a sorcerer!" Ren snapped. "Think of something!"

"Drawing a blank here!" Dong snapped back.

They shouted again as the ground came even closer. Suddenly, a pair of talons gripped the two of them by their collars. They softly landed on the ground as a white peacock landed in front of them.

"You two should know better than to jump from a cliff." Shen smirked.

"Thanks for that." Ren said. "But who are you?"

"Shen." the former prince bowed. "I assisted Shifu in your rescue."

Ren's eyes widened and she spun around, searching for said master. But she was horrified to find that Shifu was nowhere in sight. "He didn't jump…."

Dong looked back up at the hole, but it quickly repaired itself. From what he could see, Shifu wasn't on the ground anywhere. So he must still…

"He's still in there." Dong breathed.

Shen followed the sorcerer's gaze. "In the castle?"

"Ren!"

Ren turned as Chao ran up and pulled her into a hug. "Thank gods you're alright."

"Me?" Ren snapped. "_You're _the one that almost got killed!"

"Enough!" Shen hissed. "We have to get back to camp."

"What about Shifu?" Ren asked. "He's still up there."

Shen gazed towards the castle. "I'll go back for him. But you all need to get to the camp."

"We don't know where it is." Dong said. "Besides, we can't go back in there."

"Why not?" Chao demanded.

"Because Shifu purposefully pushed me and Ren out that hole." Dong explained. "He saw someone coming and wanted to protect us. No doubt he's been captured by now. We _cannot _let his sacrifice be in vain." He turned to Shen. "Lead the way."

Shen looked back towards the castle. He felt like running up to help Shifu, but he also knew the truth in Dong's words. Reluctantly, he started towards the forest, leading the others to the campsite. Needless to say, nobody was happy about leaving Shifu behind, but Dong absolutely _refused _to let anyone try and go after him. So they kept trudging through the forest until they reached the camp. The fire was still going and Tigress, Siren, Junjie, and Anuli were asleep.

Wait…..

"Junjie!" Shen snapped.

The fox jumped about ten feet in the air from shock. He rubbed his eyes. "What?"

"Where's Anuli?" Shen demanded.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR _

Shifu's head was swimming as he opened his bleary eyes. He blinked and shook his head to rid himself of the dizziness, but it only helped a little. His shoulder still felt like it was on fire. He tried to move, but found shackles around his wrists and ankles that chained him to the wall. Further investigation showed that he was in one of the cells in the dungeon. Early morning sunlight shined through the barred window above him.

"Good morning, dearest."

Shifu looked towards the owner of the mocking tone and found a familiar face at the door of his cell.

"Hello Aurora." Shifu greeted.

The panther sorceress had her orbed staff in hand. Her fur gleamed slightly from the brushing and oil she had used. She wore a kimono that was black with a silver trim and silver obi. Her golden brown eyes had the smallest glint to them. Her face was emotionless, but scrutinizing; like a hunting cat studying her next kill.

Shifu smirked, despite the obvious pain he was in. "Something I can help you with?" Aurora didn't answer; she just continued with her speculating gaze. Shifu stared into her eyes, searching for anything that would give him a hint about her thoughts. All he could see was confusion. "What happened to you? After you left, I thought I'd never see you again. Turns out you were planning my execution."

This time, Aurora sneered. "You brought this upon yourself. You know exactly what you did to me and now….." she laughed a little. "Well, you know the saying: 'what goes around comes around.'"

"Really?" Shifu said. "So, indulge me: what exactly happens after I'm out of the way? You're little minions have taken the Jade Palace. So is this all just to rule the Valley of Peace?"

"Not just the Valley of Peace." Aurora shook her head. "The whole world. And this one."

Shifu's eyes narrowed. "Aurora, you're crazy."

Aurora scoffed. "You're one to talk."

"And how exactly will you be able to stand against your enemies?" Shifu demanded. "You have my students, Chao and the Sacred Onyx Council, Junjie, Dong, and many others who will fight against you. Your magic won't be enough."

"I know what you're trying to do." Aurora growled. "You're trying to get information out of me so that when you, quote on quote, 'escape' you can blab to all your little friends and save the day. Well, you've got a couple problems with that. One, you won't escape this cell alive. You know that cut on your shoulder is poisoned, right? Well, I've managed to suppress the poison so it won't kill you so quickly. Not that it will matter. I will personally be your executioner later today." Aurora leaned close to the bars. "And you _will _die for what you've done to me."

"And what's my other problem?" Shifu demanded.

Aurora smirked. "Tell me, Shifu dearest, do you care for that Siren girl and her friend Anuli?"

Shifu suddenly jumped to his feet. "If you lay a claw on them so help me—"

"What are you gonna do?" Aurora taunted. "Strangle me? Beat me? Whack me on the head with this?" She pulled Oogway's staff from behind her back.

"Give that back." Shifu growled.

Aurora smirked. "Or what oh great and powerful Grandmaster?" Shifu lunged for her, completely forgetting his bonds. He stopped about an inch from the bars of his cell, glaring daggers. Aurora shook her head and smiled. "You can't stop me." She leaned in close to Shifu's face. "Hate hath no fury like a woman scorned." She spun on her heel and walked off. Shifu watched her go until she had disappeared from sight before leaning against the wall and sliding to the floor. His vision was flooded with memories of his dream so many days before: the execution room, the shadows, Siren saying those exact words, the sword that….

Shifu started tugging at his chains. But no matter what he did, the metal links stayed connected to the wall and his limbs. He gently touched his wounded shoulder, only to pull back his hand at the slightest touch. The wound was burning again. Shifu sat on the floor once more. He started coughing into his small paw, convulsing every time he did. He felt something wet and pulled his paw back. The liquid was black like ink, but had the smell of blood.

"Black blood?"

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

_They're gonna kill me when they find out where I went. _She thought. _But it doesn't matter. I know Shifu's in danger. I owe it to him to help. Siren will be mortified if he dies. _She patted her bra strap. Yep, it was still there. Good, she may need it. Her ears flicked towards the sound of shadows coming down the hall. She ducked in a closet and waited till they passed before continuing. Her tail twitched as she paused at a fork in the hallway. She felt drawn to the left corridor and journeyed down it. Suddenly, she heard a noise and hid around the corner. She watched as Aurora briskly walked down the hall.

Anuli narrowed her eyes and carefully followed Aurora. She stayed a good distance away as to not be detected. She followed Aurora as the sorceress went up some stairs to a bedchamber. It was a small room with a large bed, an equally large closet, and a desk. Aurora sat at her desk and started messing with some papers. Anuli stayed outside the door and peered through the keyhole.

Aurora shifted through the mess of books, papers, and figurines at the desk for a while. Everything seemed to be going as planned. Soon, she would have everything she needed. Anyone who opposed her would fall.

"She will be pleased…" Aurora said to herself.

_She? She who? _Anuli thought.

Aurora sighed and leaned back in her chair. She stared at the plans on her desk. She looked around to make sure there were no shadows around before pulling open a drawer and pulling out a bundle of scrolls tied together with a small piece of rope. Aurora undid the rope and opened the first scroll, reading it silently to herself.

_Aurora,_

_Sorry I couldn't stay in the village with you. My dad, being the con artist he is, had to yet again flee the village before anyone could find out about the "magical healing amulets". But I'm at the Jade Palace now. My dad sorta…left me there. But don't worry. I'm going to learn kung fu and be the greatest warrior in all of China! Write to me soon!_

_Shifu_

Aurora skipped a few scrolls and chose another scroll to open.

_Aurora,_

_You should really come visit sometime. The Jade Palace is so beautiful, especially in the winter. I'm really getting ahead on my training. Junjie and Chao are doing pretty great, too. I miss you a lot. I wish I could write more, but there's really not much to write about. _

_I want you to come to the Jade Palace. I want to show you my world._

_Shifu_

Another couple scrolls.

_Aurora,_

_How's training at the magic academy? Turn anyone into a toad yet? Hahaha. You think you can tell me where your academy is? I'd love to see it. And I want to see you in action! If you were strong when we first met, I'd love to see you now! I know, you've only been there a week, but I bet you're progressing fast. _

_Not that good at writing long letters as you can see. Write back soon! I'll let you know when something big happens!_

_Shifu_

Aurora skimmed a few more scrolls before reaching a significant one.

_Hey Aurora,_

_Bad news, I'm afraid. You know Chao's wife, Ren? Well, she's sort of gone. You know how she was pregnant? She had to leave because she and her child were in danger. We don't know where they are or what will happen to them. All we can do is hope that they come back soon. Chao's heartbroken. Junjie's trying to keep an upbeat attitude, as usual; but it's become so hard to laugh these last few days. _

_I hope you're doing alright. Can't you come and visit sometime? I haven't seen you in a long time. Seeing Chao and Ren together made me a little envious. I wanted you to be here to see Ren. I bet the two of you would've gotten along quite well. You two are so similar you could've been sisters._

_Write back soon._

_Shifu_

Aurora skipped to the very last scroll.

_Aurora,_

_Listen, we need to talk. Not just in a letter; like face to face. I have to tell you something very important._

_Please, we need to meet sometime very soon. It can't wait and I'd prefer to tell you to your face._

_Shifu_

Aurora's gripped tightened on the scroll to the point that she almost tore it in two. Instead, she threw the scroll across the room. She grabbed each and every one of Shifu's letters and threw them in every direction. She gave short little screams of frustration and nearly roared as she swept the books and papers off her desk. She took the stool and threw it across the room, smashing it to pieces against the wall. Finally, while nearly tearing her fur out, Aurora broke down on her bed and began to cry.

"Why?" She cried. "Why did you want to tell me to my face? What joy could you have gotten in breaking my heart?" She wiped her eyes angrily and clawed at the blankets and sheets on her bed, slashing the fabric open. "How could you come to hate me? What did I do wrong?" She growled as she fought to regain her composure. "Well, you're going understand my pain now. I swear to you that you _will _know my pain." She looked to the ceiling. "I'll rip your heart out you little son of a—" Aurora buried her head in her pillow, screaming muffled curses. She sat up and took a breath. "Now I feel better." She walked up to her closet and chose a new outfit: black pants with a long sleeved, blood red shirt and a black cloak. She quickly changed and snapped her fingers. Instantly, the room began to put itself back together until it was just as it was before.

Anuli moved as Aurora journeyed down the stairs and out of sight. Quiet as a mouse, Anuli slipped into the sorceress's room and began rummaging about the desk. She skimmed the books and the papers, her eyes widening with every piece she read. Finally, she looked through the scrolls she had been reading. Her gaze softened when she saw their contents. Then she remembered Aurora's ranting and started cleaning up again. But her eyes fell upon one of the open scrolls and she made the quick decision to keep it. She tied the scroll to one of the straps of her dress before running out the door to catch up with Aurora.

_Please don't let me be too late._ She thought desperately.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Shifu kept coughing, even when he tried to fight it. He shivered slightly. He tried to wipe the blood off his hands, but it only stained them a sickly black color. He felt disoriented and lightheaded. The sun had been traveling steadily across the sky, and any minute his nightmare would come true.

Shifu laid his head back against the stone wall. He tried to breathe evenly, but every inhale caused him pain. With nothing else to do, he folding his legs into a lotus position and straightened his posture to meditate.

_He breathed in the air and found it sweet and clean. The calmness surprised him and he opened his eyes. Shifu's eyes widened when he saw that he was at the Sacred Peach Tree. He looked around and saw that the stone walls of his cell had been replaced with clear blue skies and a full view of the village. The peach tree was in full bloom, and a familiar figure was doing Tai Chi in front of him._

"_Master Oogway!" Shifu immediately stood and bowed to his master. _

_The old tortoise chuckled. "At ease, soldier." He teased. _

_Shifu couldn't help but crack a smile as he stood up straight. "Master, where am I?"_

"_A higher state of mind similar to that of a dream." Oogway said. "I understand that you're confused and I came to talk to you. Seems you and your friends are in a lot of trouble."_

_Shifu resisted the urge to be sarcastic. "My friends could be hurt, my students may be dead, and my ex-girlfriend is going to literally rip my heart out. No offense, Master Oogway, but this is more than just 'a lot of trouble'."_

_Oogway nodded. "Tell me, Shifu, are you afraid?"_

"_I fear nothing." Shifu said immediately. "I just fear for others."_

"_So you care about them." Oogway guessed. "Like how you care for Miss Aurora." _

_Shifu looked at the ground. He didn't know what to say. _

"_Shifu." Oogway said softly. Shifu glanced uncertainly into the tortoise's kind jade eyes. "Change is coming. I've been expecting this to happen for a long time. There is a reason I came to see you. I can only stay for a little longer, and I must tell you these three things._

"_One, by the end of this journey, you will finally gain what you have lost so long ago. But it can only happen if you make the right decisions. _

"_Two, a house divided cannot stand. The Furious Five cannot work together if they are constantly at each other's throats. A trio of great warriors cannot succeed without cooperation and respect for one another._

"_Three, you have two ancient beasts asleep but soon will awaken. If you aren't prepared, you will perish._

"_And now, my friend, I must leave you."_

Shifu jolted slightly as his cell door slammed open. He hardly opened his eyes when a pair of shadows released his chains and started dragging him down the hallway.

_Shadows seemed to dance across the dark hall. It had been a very long time since Shifu was genuinely scared, and now, now he was terrified. The shadows shoved him through a door at the end of the hallway. They slammed the door shut, and Shifu was left alone. The room consisted only of a rack of sharp weapons and a stone altar._

Same shadows, same stone altar, same rack of weapons, same room; the only differences was that there were no chains to restrict his movement and Shifu wasn't afraid this time. He was ready for whatever would happen next.

"And cue the crazy cat." He muttered.

Aurora scoffed from the corner. "Hello Grandmaster." She stepped from the shadows, pretending to be inspecting her sharp black claws. "I'll admit you're quite the fighter. It took a lot to take you down." She gazed towards the red panda before her. "But you've always been like that. I'm over three hundred years old and I've never met someone so strong."

"The joys of eternal life." Shifu said blissfully.

"Eternal life, but not immortality." Aurora reminded him. "I can die; just like you will." She thrust her palm forward and a chi attack sent Shifu into the wall.

_Suddenly, a force slammed into Shifu and sent him flying into the stone wall. A hand clutched his throat, keeping him suspended above the floor. Shifu tried to pull away, clawing at the figure's shadowing hand._

Aurora growled low, her claws digging into Shifu's neck. Shifu didn't struggle and tried not to gasp. He stared at Aurora, his steely blue eyes boring into her golden brown ones. Aurora turned and threw Shifu to the ground. The aged master grunted in pain through clenched teeth as his forehead hit the corner of the stairs. He raised a hand to the cut on his head and turned to Aurora with a glare.

"Nothing you say or do to me now will scare me, if that's your plan." Shifu said as he struggled to stand. Aurora leaped for him, but he ducked at the last second and the panther slammed into the rack of weapons. Shifu made a break for the door, but an invisible force pulled him back. He hit the wall, then the altar, then the floor. He coughed up more black blood. Aurora slammed a foot on his chest, pinning him to the floor. A sword was in her paws.

_She spun it in her hand for a moment before pointing the blade tip towards Shifu. She took the sword in both hands and raised it high above her head. The blade glinted wickedly as it was aimed for Shifu._

Aurora did not grin. She only stared at Shifu with her hard golden brown eyes. Shifu didn't glare or show any emotion except for one: remorse. He wanted to say something, anything, before she killed him now. But nothing could come out. So he kept his eyes on hers, blue on brown, until Aurora made her move.

"Farewell, Shifu dearest." She muttered.

_The sword came down._

**A/N: BTW, for all you anime/**_**Soul Eater **_**fans, yes the black blood is a slight reference to that. No flames! Just reviews! Please? I'll give you a cookie. (gives puppy dog pout)**


	24. Ch 24 The Beasts Released

**Chapter Twenty Four- The Beasts are Released**

A strange sound met his ears and he opened his eyes to look at what happened. The sword had not penetrated his flesh, but the stone two inches above his head. The black cat still had a foot on his chest, but she was staring with shock at the one that had diverted her killing blow. A familiar fox/human hybrid stood before her, looking ready to tear someone's throat to pieces.

Anuli aimed a well-placed kick for Aurora's stomach. The panther sorceress went flying backwards. Anuli jumped over Shifu and continued the brief skirmish with Aurora. The sorceress tried to strike at the girl, but Anuli was faster; she shot out her fingers and put some well-placed jabs in Aurora's chest and neck. The sorceress went tense and froze before collapsing to the floor, unconscious.

Anuli smirked and turned back to kneel next to Shifu. She gently helped him sit up as he started coughing again. Her eyes widened at the sight of the blood.

"We have to get you out of here." Anuli urged. She pushed Oogway's staff in Shifu's hand and helped him to his feet. The two of them hurried from the room, but Shifu stumbled and almost fell over. Anuli urged him on as they kept going. But they only got so far before shadows appeared before them.

"Oh I so don't have time for this." Anuli growled. Before Shifu could react, Anuli was already attacking the shadows, sending fire in every direction. Shifu had to cover his ears when the shadows screeched in pain and died. Anuli pulled Shifu along as they ran, but he suddenly fell flat on his face halfway down the hall.

"Oh for the love of Heaven!" Anuli snapped. "What's wrong with you?" That's when she noticed the wound on his shoulder, still bleeding out. "Dear gods, Shifu what did you get yourself into?"

"The usual." Shifu shrugged painfully.

Anuli groaned and pulled Shifu into a nearby closet. She created a ball of fire in her palm and inspected the wound. Shifu looked towards the fire and remembered something.

"We need Dong here." Shifu said. "He can help."

Anuli thought for a moment and reached into her bra strap she unclipped the item and showed it to Shifu. It was a business card, navy blue, with a set of directions on one side and Dong's name on the other.

"What's that?" Shifu asked.

"A way to get Dong." Anuli answered. She looked at the directions, reading quickly. She looked around the closet and found what she needed: a pail of water. She dipped the card in the water until it was soaked and gently set the card on the ground. Anuli created more fire and somehow managed to light the card on fire. She and Shifu stood back as the card smoked into a large cloud. When the mist died, Dong was standing before them, a smile on his face.

"I knew you'd have that card." He chuckled. "How may I be of service?" Anuli wordlessly pointed to Shifu's wound, and Dong nodded in understanding. He got to work, magically summoning a pair of scissors and snipping away the bandages. Shifu cringed slightly as the bandages brushed against his wound when they fell. Dong took some of Anuli's fire in his hands and rubbed his around his hands like fiery hand soap. When he was done, there was a ball of blue fire in his palm. He carefully pressed the fire to Shifu's cuts. The red panda winced slightly, but where he expected heat there was actually a cooling sensation, like ice. Steadily, the cold feeling went comfortably warm until it disappeared completely. Shifu reached a hand around and felt unbroken skin where his cuts once were.

"There, all better." Dong smirked proudly.

Shifu pulled his collar back over his shoulder and bowed. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Dong waved his hand. "Now come on." He carefully opened the storage door and led the two out when it was safe. They darted down the hallway.

"We have to get to the others." Anuli said. "I know Aurora's plan. It's not pretty."

"What do you mean?" Shifu asked.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

"We can't just sit here!" Siren snapped as she paced. "They could be dead by now!"

"Dong just left to find them." Chao reminded her. "And I know he can get them out, safe and sound."

"We have to trust him." Ren agreed.

Siren looked beyond distressed. Shen gently took the human's hand in his wing. She looked into his eyes as he gave her a small smile. Siren sat crossed legged on the ground, staring in the direction of Aurora's castle. Shen sat beside her, wrapping a wing around her shoulders.

Junjie heard Tigress growl low. "Oh relax." He whispered so Shen and Siren wouldn't hear.

"How can I relax when that murderous monster is touching my friend?" Tigress whispered back.

"You're one to talk about a monster." Junjie replied.

Tigress tensed up, remembering her lonely days at the orphanage. "That's different. Shen's a monster. He almost killed us and destroyed Po's life."

"Everyone deserves a second chance." Junjie said. "You gave me that chance, why not him?"

"Only when he proves himself." Tigress said. "Only then will I give him a chance."

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR _

"You've got to be kidding me." Dong breathed.

"I'm not." Anuli shook her head. "That's why we have to get back to the others and make sure Siren's with them."

Shifu stared at the scroll Anuli had given him. "I can't believe she kept them." He murmured.

"What?" Anuli asked.

"Nothing." Shifu shook his head. He rolled up the scroll and tucked it in his sleeve. "We should go." Anuli and Dong nodded as they moved from their hiding spot in the shadows. Suddenly, some shadow beasts started chasing them. Anuli sent a fire tornado towards them to make them burst into dust. More took their place. Dong shot lightning from his fingertips. The hallway behind them turned into an electric deathtrap as the shadows screeched in pain. Even more resumed the chase. No matter what Anuli or Dong threw, more of the black beasts came. Shifu couldn't do much; especially after the first shadow he struck almost took his leg off.

"We need a better plan!" Dong snapped as they kept running.

Anuli looked back at the shadows. Aurora, now conscious, had joined the chase. Her golden brown eyes locked with Anuli's near-black ones. Anuli frowned and stopped.

Shifu skidded to a halt. "What are you doing?"

"Just go!" Anuli ordered. "I'll be fine!"

"We're not leaving you!" Dong said. "Nobody gets left behind!" But Anuli stood firm, and Dong had to magically pull her to them before sending fire into the hall. They left the burning hallway behind as they ran. They reached a window and Dong hopped out, levitating in the air. Shifu jumped to the windowsill, but turned to Anuli, still inside and not moving.

"Anuli, I'm tired of leaving people behind." Shifu snapped. "Come on!"

"Shifu, you know the plan." Anuli sighed. "You have to trust me."

"I'm not leaving you!" Shifu growled.

Anuli frowned. "Oh yes you are!" Without warning, her fist connected with Shifu's jaw, sending the master flying out the window. Dong dived down to stop the red panda before he hit the ground, but when he looked for Anuli, the fox girl was gone.

"Is she crazy?" Dong growled as he landed on the ground. Shifu dusted himself off.

"Of course she is." Shifu said. "We have to go back."

"No!" Dong shouted. "I'm tired of this endless cycle of people getting captured, rescued, and captured again! It's getting ridiculous!"

"What choice do we have?" Shifu demanded.

"We have the choice to go back to the others and work out a plan." Dong shouted. "We know Aurora's plan. We can do something about it and go home!" He started stomping off into the forest. "Come on before I drag you there by the ear!"

Shifu was rooted in the spot from shock for a second before he shook it off and reluctantly followed.

Siren looked up at the noise and jumped to her feet when Dong and Shifu came through the trees. She rushed towards them and knelt to pull Shifu into a hug.

"Thank gods you're safe." She sighed. Siren looked up. "Where's Anuli?"

"Isn't she here?" Dong asked.

"No, she was gone when we came back from the castle, remember?" Chao said.

"And she didn't come back?" Dong asked.

"We thought she was at the castle." Ren said.

"We didn't see her." Dong lied. Shifu shook his head, a pang of guilt in his stomach.

"We have to find her!" Siren urged. "Aurora could capture her and—"

"Siren, no." Dong shook his head. "We don't need to run around like headless chickens."

"She's my best friend." Siren said. "I won't leave her."

Dong was about to protest, but he saw the determination in his granddaughter's eyes. He sighed. "Fine. You and Tigress search the forest. Don't go anywhere near Aurora's castle. I'm sure Anuli just wandered off and got lost." Siren nodded and she ran off, Tigress behind her. Shifu gave Dong a look, but the sorcerer ignored him.

"Now, we have a new plan to defeat Aurora." Dong said as he and Shifu sat down.

"Really?" Junjie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It'll work this time." Shifu said. "Because we know Aurora's plan." Everyone leaned in, full attention on the Grandmaster.

"Aurora wants to control our world and this one." Shifu explained. "Her magic and shadows should be plenty, but she plans to do even more. There's a legend of two ancient beasts: one of air and one of fire. Aurora knows about them and wants to use these beasts to help with her takeover. Oogway told me about these beasts; he said that if we're not ready, we will perish. We _cannot _let Aurora release these beasts."

"There's more." Dong added. "Aurora's not fully the mastermind of this plan. There's someone else; someone she's trying to please. We don't know who it is, but we need to be ready to face them after we take down Aurora."

"So where exactly are these beasts?" Ren asked.

"Not where, who." Dong corrected.

Chao locked eyes with Shifu, who had a look of dread on his face. "Oh no…."

"The beasts are asleep within Anuli and Siren." Shifu said.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Anuli meditated peacefully inside her metal cage. Her tail curled around her legs and her fox ears were erect and straight. She breathed evenly, concentrating on only the air around her. A ring of fire surrounded her, giving her an "at home" feeling.

Her ears flicked at the sound of footsteps coming towards her. Anuli opened her deep, dark eyes to lock gazes with the panther before her.

"Welcome, little fox." Aurora smiled.

"You have what you want." Anuli said. "Now you have to hold up your end of the deal."

"Oh, rest assured, your friends will be fine as long as they stay out of my way." Aurora waved it off. "But you honestly can't expect me to just stand back and let them attack me."

"Any one of them dies and you will die a horrible death." Anuli threatened.

Aurora chuckled. "Do relax. All I want is you and your little Siren friend."

Anuli glared hard. "Don't even think about it."

Aurora gave a full-out laugh. "You foolish girl. You actually thought you could win. I will emerge victorious from this battle. You and your friends will bow to me or spend the rest of their lives in a cell. Everything you have will be taken and destroyed." Aurora paused. "Oh that's right; you didn't have much to start with."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anuli growled. The ring of fire around her was getting hotter, the flames bigger. Aurora noticed this and fought a smirk. _Perfect._

"I mean you don't have much." Aurora explained. "You have no friends, you live alone in a house, and you can't protect yourself. Your parents would've been embarrassed to be seen with you."

"That's a lie!" Anuli jumped to her feet. The flames got bigger. "You know nothing about my parents!"

"Oh really?" Aurora smirked. "Well, I guess that's true. I never met your parents." She leaned in close. "But my shadow beast did."

Anuli's eyes widened. "No…"

"Dong told you about it, I assume?" Aurora guessed. "About my beast I created that went rouge. It ran into the forest and never came back. But I watched it through my scrying bowl. Just wanted to make sure it didn't cause problems. For a long time, it didn't. Then your parents came into the picture. Your father came in first, searching for something. I never knew what it was, but he was easy prey for my beast. Then your mother came. Oh, such a pretty little fox, she actually put up a fight. But in the end, nothing could be done. She soon succumbed to the poison of my beast and was no more." Aurora chuckled. "Your parents died for who knows what reason; if it was for you, well, that's a sorry excuse. So face the facts while you can. You're nothing."

Anuli squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel her anger building like lava.

Aurora smirked triumphantly. "Poor little orphan Anuli; without a family forever."

The volcano blew its top.

Anuli opened her mouth and let out a roar. Aurora jumped back as bright orange fur grew over her body. Her tails turned to sharp claws. Whiskers sprouted from her newly grown snout. Wisps of fire blew off. When the transformation was done, Aurora found herself staring at a giant fox demon with glowing red eyes.

Aurora smiled. "Perfect." The fox demon tried to break from the cage, but the metal bars stayed firm. "One down, one to go."

"I think not."

Aurora spun around. She was shocked but inwardly pleased to see Siren standing on the windowsill across the room. The human jumped down and started towards them.

"Let her go or so help me—" Siren growled.

"You want me to let this thing out of her cage?" Aurora repeated. "Are you insane? Your friend's long gone; if you set her free she'll kill us both."

Siren stopped, staring at her friend-gone-fox-demon. "Then change her back."

"I can't do that." Aurora said.

"Why not?"

"Don't know how."

Siren growled and took a fighting stance. "Then let me refresh your memory." She lunged for Aurora, but the sorceress easily sidestepped. Siren kept coming, but no matter what she threw, Aurora only stepped aside and her fists connected with air.

"You know, you're one of the two beasts' prophesized." Aurora said.

"What's that?" Siren growled as she kept fighting.

"There are two beasts I need." Aurora explained. "One of air and one of fire. I already have the one of fire. You are the one of air. All I need is to make you snap, and you'll be at my command."

"Yeah right!" Siren shouted. "I'll never give in to you!"

"You already are." Aurora laughed. She finally sent forward an attack, blasting Siren backwards and into a wall. "It'll be so easy to make you snap."

Siren wiped the blood from her mouth. "How so, per say?" She rushed into battle once more.

"Everyone has something that'll make them angry." Aurora said. "For Anuli, it was the fact that she didn't have a family. For you, it's love, or lack thereof."

"What are you rambling about?" Siren screamed.

"I'm 'rambling' about the fact that nobody could ever love you." Aurora said. She noticed the air around them whipping about, like a strange wind. _Keep it going. _"You may have lived in the world without humans, but you never belonged there. You're a freak! How could anyone care about you?"

"Shut up!" Siren shouted. Her emerald green irises went red. Little feathers started sprouting on her arms and legs.

"You will always be a freak of nature!" Aurora continued. "Nobody could ever love you! Not even your parents or your little peacock boyfriend!" She grabbed Siren's hand as the human tried to punch her. "Why don't you just kill yourself, _monster_."

Siren snapped.

She screeched like a bird and sent Aurora flying with a gust of wind. Aurora flipped and landed on her feet. She watched as giant black wings sprouted from Siren's back. Her legs and arms grew scaly and her nails turned to talons. Feathers sprouted all over her body. Her eyes glowed red. Her mouth and nose turned into a snout as scaly as her legs. She screeched again, showing off her dagger-like teeth.

Siren was now a demonic raven.

Aurora punched the air. "Yes! At last! Now this world and the next are mine!" She laughed a maniacal laugh.

But something went wrong.

Siren, not being in a cage, had free range to do what she wanted. The demonic bird sent another gust of wind and Aurora went flying once more. Caught off guard, she barely had time to register what had happened before she hit the wall. She watched in horror as the bird demon destroyed the metal cage, releasing the fox demon. The two demons roared and turned to Aurora. The panther sorceress was frozen for a moment, watching. Then, the beasts turned and charged towards the window. They burst through the stone and into the night.

Aurora stared at the broken window. "Oops."

On the ground, Shifu, Chao, Ren, Junjie, Dong, and Tigress were running towards the forest. But they skidded to a halt when they saw the fire and the raven demon.

"That's not…." Junjie breathed.

"Yes." Dong nodded. "It's Siren and Anuli."

Shifu stared at the girls in horror. "We're too late."


	25. Ch 25 Master and Sorceress

**Chapter Twenty Five- Master and Sorceress**

The group could only stand and stare as the raven demon flew to the top of the mountain, blowing air around her. The gusts of wind gathered dark storm clouds that encased the top of the mountain. The raven beast disappeared from sight. The fox demon, with fire wisps trailing behind her, went bounding into the forest.

"What do we do?" Chao asked. "Go after them?"

"Not if you want to be torched or blown off the mountain." Shen said.

"We have to stick with the plan." Shifu said. "Aurora knows how to stop them and we're going to find out how."

"Yes, but…" Ren looked worriedly up at the castle. "Shifu, what if she kills you?"

Shifu glanced up towards the black castle that loomed before them. Yes, there was a very good chance that Aurora wouldn't listen to reason and that she'd attack him. Her magic versus his kung fu…..well, the outcome wouldn't be pretty. But he had to try. No matter what happened up there, it had to end.

"Stay here unless something goes wrong." Shifu ordered as he walked towards the castle.

"How will we know if something goes wrong?" Junjie asked.

"Oh you'll know!" Shifu called. He broke into a full sprint. _Everything will be fine….I think._

Aurora stared out her window as the beasts went their separate directions. Her gaze traveled down to the group of warriors standing in front of her castle. Her eyes targeted Shifu, currently running at full sprint towards the mountain. Aurora had a solemn look as she gave a wave of her hand. Upon hearing her magic work, she walked off to prepare for what would come next.

Shifu skidded to a halt as stairs suddenly carved themselves into the mountain. He looked up towards the castle one last time before taking the steps two at a time. Not that he was in that big of a hurry, but the ominous storm clouds summoned by Siren gave him a sense of urgency. He reached the top of the steps and found a large, circular area, like a balcony, jutting from the side of the castle. A doorway was across the area. Shifu watched as a panther came forward, dressed in navy blue pants and a spring green vest, embroidered with lilies and hemmed with white. She would've looked so pretty, had she not been carrying her deadly scepter with a murderous look in her golden brown eyes.

"What do _you _want?" Aurora demanded.

Shifu tried to keep calm as he pulled a scroll from his sleeve. "I want to end this; to settle things between us." He held up the scroll. "You've been saying that you hated me and want me dead, yet you've kept every single letter I've ever written to you. Why?"

"They remind me of why I wanted to kill you." Aurora answered.

"That's a lie." Shifu growled. He tossed the scroll towards the panther. The scroll bounced and rolled to her feet. "Those letters were written when we were best friends, maybe even closer. How could such good-hearted words make you so angry?"

"Because they were lies!" Aurora shouted. She stepped over the scroll and began advancing towards Shifu. The elder master stood ready. "'Good-hearted words' you say? I say different. Face it, Shifu, you never cared about me. All you cared about was yourself. The last letter you sent to me said, and I quote, 'We need to talk. I'd rather tell you in person.' Tell me what? That you hated me and never cared about me?"

"Of course not." Shifu said.

"You never wrote to me again after that!" Aurora screamed. "No matter how often I wrote to you, I never got a reply! It was then I knew your true feelings for me. Hate hath no fury like a woman scorned. Now you will feel my fury!"

She dove for Shifu with a roar. Shifu ducked and jumped away, rolling to land on his feet again. Aurora snarled as she thrust her staff forward, sending lightning in Shifu's direction. He leaned to the side, the bright light of the flash nearly blinding him. He came forward with his own attack, swiping his staff at Aurora's feet. She jumped to avoid it, swinging her staff towards Shifu's head. The two of them sent blow after blow, and they both managed to block and retaliate. The storm got worse as they fought; the black clouds seemed to be drawn towards the presence of such an intense battle. Lighting flashed. Thunder boomed so loud that if Shifu had been paying attention, his ears would be ringing.

Ren put her hands to her mouth, horrified by the storm and the distant sounds of battle. "Shouldn't we go up there?"

"We can't interrupt." Dong said. "It's too dangerous."

"To hell with that!" Ren snapped. Dong cringed at his daughter's harsh words. "I won't lose my family after I just got it back!"

"Ren, I understand your concern." Chao said. "But this isn't just about Siren or Anuli or any of that." He looked towards the battle. "This is something only Shifu can do."

Aurora launched a fireball towards Shifu. He bent backwards to avoid it, but the flames singed his fur. He sent his strongest chi attack, sending Aurora tumbling across the ground. The sorceress was quick to dig her claws into the ground to avoid being thrown off the balcony. She stood up, breathing heavily.

"Stop this now, Aurora." Shifu ordered. "We can talk about this, can't we?"

"Talking won't fix anything." Aurora growled.

"And this will?" Shifu demanded.

"Yes!" Aurora roared. The top of her staff suddenly caught fire as she swung it around. The streaks of fire weaved and grew until a dragon formed from the flames. Shifu turned and ran as the dragon blew fire in his direction. Shifu felt the heat from the blast as he rolled away. He pushed himself to his feet and stood ready, though a little unsure of how to battle a beast made of fire. Aurora stood behind the beast, using her staff to control the beast. Shifu found himself running again as more fire was blown. He spied the door across the balcony and ran to it.

Aurora narrowed her eyes and moved the dragon towards Shifu. With waves of her paws, the dragon struck the stone above the door. The rocks caved in and fell; and Shifu disappeared from sight. Aurora smiled and lowered her arms. The fire dragon disappeared.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Shifu tackled Aurora from behind. The two of them tumbled head over tail before Shifu managed to pin Aurora face down on the floor.

"Now will you listen to me?" Shifu asked.

Aurora growled. She slammed her fist into the floor and a rock spire burst from the ground, slamming into Shifu's face and knocking him aside. He painfully sat up and held his sore nose, glaring. Aurora came forward with another attack, but Shifu decided different. When she jutted her staff forward, he dodged the attack and ran forward to grab the staff.

"Enough already!" Shifu snapped. He yanked the staff from Aurora's paws and smashed the orbed end on the ground. Aurora stood there, slack-jawed, staring at her broken staff. She turned to Shifu with that same gaze.

"What was that for?" She demanded.

Shifu face-palmed. "Aurora, you need to listen to me _very _closely."

"I told you talking won't help!" Aurora snapped. She aimed a punch, but Shifu twisted her arm around and sent her to the ground. He put a foot on her stomach to prevent her from getting up.

"You don't have to talk; just listen." Shifu said. Aurora opened her mouth, but Shifu beat her to it. "I _did _write to you. I was waiting for you to write to me so we'd have something to talk about. But you know what? Not a single letter came. No word from you whatsoever. I wrote to you instead; I wrote for weeks on end. Not a single word or reply came back. I didn't stop writing until after you attacked me." He showed her the scar on his arm. "I didn't stop until after you gave me this. After that, I thought you hated me, so I stopped writing. But never _once _did I not think about you." He kept a hard stare with Aurora for a while before he sighed and took his foot off the panther's stomach. Aurora sat up, but she didn't attack. "It's not like I could've come and found you. You never told me where the academy was. I didn't know where to start. But I considered going to search, but Oogway reminded me that I couldn't run around like a crazy person."

"You _are _a crazy person." Aurora joked in a soft voice.

Shifu chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I am. Many would agree, if they knew I had fallen in love with a sorceress."

Aurora laughed a little, but she stopped. "You….loved me?"

"Of course." Shifu nodded. "When you helped us get home when we fell into the river, I was amazed by how…..different you were from the other girls I had met."

"Different how?" Aurora asked.

"For one thing, you never giggled." Shifu noted. "Something I always found a little annoying."

Aurora laughed, covering her mouth.

"See? No giggling." Shifu smiled. "From the moment I met you, I knew there was something about you I liked. I didn't care if you were a sorceress or not. I knew I wanted to be with you." He paused, then cautiously reached out and took Aurora's hand in his. Before his eyes, the sorceress began to change. She shrunk considerably in size. Her black fur turned light brown and white. Her clothes and eyes stayed the same, but she had unconsciously transformed from a panther to a red panda. Shifu knelt next to her, giving her small paw a squeeze.

"I don't know what happened when we lost contact." Shifu continued. "Furthermore, I don't care. I only ask that you forgive me. Forgive me for anything I had done to you and anything you think I have done to you. I only want to let go of the past and look to the future. A future with you."

Aurora stared at the ground, her ears drooping.

"Aura, please." Shifu asked.

Aurora's ears perked and she turned to look Shifu dead in the eyes. "What did you call me?"

"Aura." Shifu repeated. "You know? The nickname I gave you because—"

"You said 'Aurora' sounded too formal." Aurora finished. "You said that you wanted to give me a name that was special for the both of us. It was pretty much the only thing you ever called me because you thought pet names were degrading." She sighed. "You haven't called me 'Aura' in years."

Shifu shrugged. "I haven't seen you in years."

Aurora averted her eyes, fighting back the tears. Shifu gently turned her head to look at him.

"Never once in my life did I forget about you." Shifu promised. "All I want now is for you to come home; with me, and with my family."

Aurora smiled a little. She gently touched his cheek before pulling him into a hug. "I want to. I want to go home so badly."

Shifu smiled. He stood up, pulling Aurora to her feet. "Then come on. Everyone's waiting." Aurora didn't move. She stared at Shifu with solemn eyes. Shifu's eyebrows knit together in concern. "Are you alright?"

"You have to get out of here." Aurora ordered. She jerked her head towards the stairs. "Get down those steps as fast as your feet can carry you and then get as far away from this mountain as possible."

"Why?" Shifu asked.

"There's about to be a landslide." Aurora warned. "Get out now."

"Come with me." Shifu said.

Aurora shook her head sadly. "I can't."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's gone too far. You know there's someone else involved, right? We both had plans; plans that would've worked perfectly. But we can't go through with them now. I've gone too far." Aurora stepped back and picked up her broken scepter. She twirled it a couple times before stabbing it into the ground. "I'm going to end this now."

"Aura, what are you doing?" Shifu demanded.

"You have to go." Aurora ordered. "Before the castle collapses. Then you have my headmistress to deal with. Negotiate with her, and everything will work out." Aurora raised he hands to the sky. Lightning bolts came crashing down. The strings of electricity came to the earth, turning the balcony into an electric death trap. Shifu realized with horror that they were all moving towards Aurora's staff.

"Are you insane?" he shouted. "Get out of there!" Aurora wouldn't listen. She continued to stay in that same spot, muttering spells under her breath. The lightning bolts struck the castle's connection to the mountain. The castle groaned as it started to fall. Shifu struggled to stay standing as the ground beneath his feet shook violently. Nonetheless, he was able to push himself into a run. He darted towards Aurora as the lightning got closer and closer to her. Shifu gave one last burst and full-out tackled Aurora to the ground. A collection of lightning bolts struck the spot they were just in.

Aurora sat up quickly, panting. "Are you crazy?"

Shifu coughed, slightly singed from the blast. "Yep."

Aurora rolled her eyes. Then, the castle finally gave away. Shifu pulled Aurora to her feet and ran towards the wall. They fought to run faster until they reached the ledge. Shifu jumped, pulling Aurora along with him. He somehow managed to hook Oogway's staff around a branch jutting from the rock and hung on, keeping a strong grip on Aurora with his other hand. He watched with awe as the giant black castle went crashing down, sending Junjie, Dong, Chao, Shen, and Ren running for their lives.

"Are you alright?" Shifu asked Aurora. "Aura?" He looked down and saw the red panda woman had gone unconscious, most likely from hitting her head on the mountain. "Great. Alright, don't panic, Shifu, don't panic. It could be worse, right?"

The branch started to snap.

"Of course." Shifu groaned.

He braced himself as the branch broke completely. He pulled Aurora into his arms and turned to take the impact of the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping it wouldn't hurt too much when he hit the cold, hard rocks.

Suddenly, pain shot through his shoulders. He felt his momentum come to an abrupt halt. He opened his eyes and saw he and Aurora were smoothly gliding to the ground. He looked and saw a pair of metal talons gripping his shoulders.

Shen gently set the red pandas down before landing himself. He turned as the master stood. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." Shifu nodded, picking up Aurora bridal style. "Thank you."

Shen smiled and bowed. He eyed the red panda woman curiously. "Who's that?"

"Aurora." Shifu said. Shen raised an eyebrow. "I'll explain later." Shifu said. Aurora groaned and brought a paw to her head.

"Ouch." She grumbled. Shifu gently set her down as the rest of the group ran to catch up with them. Shifu explained to everyone what had happened, and there was a mix of shock and awe.

"So, you're not gonna kill us?" Junjie asked Aurora.

Aurora laughed good-heartedly. "No, I'm not gonna kill ya."

"Good." Dong smiled. "Then perhaps you can help us with something."

Aurora bowed to her teacher. "What is your wish, oh wise teacher?"

Dong smirked and pointed to the mountain. "Siren and Anuli. How do we change them back?"

Aurora's smiled disappeared. "I'm not fully sure. I never read anything about how to change them back."

"Then how did you get them to snap?" Ren asked.

Aurora looked ashamed. "I used their worst fears; I said things to them that would make them angry enough to let the beasts come forth. For Anuli, it was the fact that her parents were killed by the rouge shadow; she doesn't have a family anymore. For Siren, it was the fact that she would never be loved because she was a demon, a freak."

"But that's not true." Chao said.

"I know." Aurora said. "But I had to say that to get the beasts to come out. I never thought I'd lose control of them."

"Then we have to convince the girls that they do have a family and are loved." Dong said. "Maybe then the beasts will calm down and we can get them back."

Shifu suddenly remembered the dream he had. The normal fox and raven that went demonic; Junjie and Shen talking to the beasts until they were calm…..

"Junjie and Shen." Shifu turned to the pair. "You have to do it."

"Why them?" Ren demanded.

"I had a dream about it." Shifu said simply. He turned his attention to the peacock and fox. "Junjie, you said you wanted to be a father for Anuli, right? Tell her that. Let her know that you want to take care of her and be her family. All of us will be her family."

Junjie smiled and nodded. "I'll do what I can."

"I'll come with you." Aurora offered. "I'll bet you anything she went after my rouge shadow. I can track her."

"Go, quickly." Dong urged. Junjie and Aurora nodded as the pair took off into the forest.

"What about Siren?" Chao asked.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but that will be Shen's job." Shifu said. He looked towards Shen. "I know you and Siren must've developed feelings for each other. And I'm sure that you can relate to the whole, 'pale demon' thing." Shen looked down scornfully. Shifu gazed up at the mountain. "You and I are going up there and we're going to bring Siren back." Shen nodded, bowing. Shifu looked to the rest of the group. "Stay down here. We'll be back soon."

"Master, is this a good idea?" Tigress asked, traces of concern in her voice.

Shifu didn't answer at first. _Was _this a good idea? What if it went wrong? If they couldn't bring Anuli and Siren back, did they just leave them here? And then they had two more problems: the Jade Palace and Aurora's headmistress, wherever she is.

"We don't have much more of a choice." Shen said. He turned to Chao and Ren and bowed. "I promise I'll bring your daughter back, safe and sound."

Ren looked worriedly up at the mountain, its tip concealed in black clouds. Chao put a comforting arm around her. "Please hurry." He said.

Shen nodded. He and Shifu took off for the mountain, praying that they weren't too late.

**A/N: Reviews are lacking again! I hate to sound like I'm complaining, but I'd love to hear your guys' feedback!**


	26. Ch 26 Anuli's Family

**Chapter Twenty Six- Anuli's Family**

Junjie and Aurora stayed side-by-side as they ran through the forest. Aurora directed them through the trees and over rocks, searching for the fire fox demon. They found some scorched trees and a couple smoldering bushes along the way, making it easier to track Anuli. Junjie couldn't stop thinking about Anuli the entire way. Was she alright? Is she fighting that rouge shadow right now?

Was she even alive?

The two of them skidded to a halt when they heard the fighting. Aurora directed Junjie to the source of the noise. They carefully climbed over the rocks and peeked over, watching in shock.

The rouge shadow beast and the fox demon were indeed fighting. Both were snarling and snapping their jaws, slashing their claws, and tackling each other into the dirt. Junjie couldn't help but wince every time Anuli took a hit. But she was quick to retaliate. Both of the beasts were covered in bites and scratches and their fur was disheveled. The fox demon's eyes were a heated red, boring into the equally blood red eyes of the shadow before her. They attacked each other again and again, neither of them backing down.

"Shouldn't we help her?" Junjie demanded.

"You want to get tangled in with a demon and a rouge shadow?" Aurora asked. Junjie looked back as the fox demon blew fire at the shadow. "That's what I thought."

"But we can't just sit here." Junjie said.

"She'll be fine." Aurora assured. "She's finally unleashing her wrath of losing her parents."

Junjie had nothing more to say. He had to use every ounce of willpower to stop himself from running out there into the fray.

The fox demon slashed her claws across the shadow's face, leaving deep marks. The shadow snarled and tackled the fox demon, sending them crashing into the dirt. The fox demon blew fire in the shadow's face before shaking it off. The fox demon and the shadow continued to exchange blows. Meanwhile, their battlefield was turning to ruin. Trees had broken, dirt kicked up, trenches everywhere, scorch marks like scars all around.

Then, the shadow got the upper hand. It fell to the ground and pretended to be dead. When the fox demon came to look, the shadow jumped up and bit into the fox demon's neck. The demon snarled in pain and fought to free herself, but her efforts were in vain. The shadow bit harder and harder until the fox demon slowly sank to the ground and was still. The shadow released the demon, growling with pleasure.

Junjie's claws dug into the rock. He growled and lunged, but Aurora tackled him to the ground to stop him. Unfortunately, that got the attention of the shadow, who started prowling towards them. Aurora pushed Junjie behind her and summoned a ball of energy, launching it towards the shadow. The shadow ducked and jumped for them. The two of them braced themselves.

Suddenly, the fox demon tackled the shadow. The demon bit into the shadow's neck so hard it broke. Then the shadow launched fire from her mouth at the rouge shadow. Junjie and Aurora watched with shock as the shadow burst to dust and blew away in the wind.

But the fox demon wasn't satisfied. She roared to the sky, wisps of fire still blowing off her fur and tail. She turned to Junjie and Aurora, still snarling. She didn't move towards them, but her furious look didn't leave those glowing red eyes.

Junjie started towards the demon, but Aurora held him back. "Junjie, maybe this wasn't the best idea. She's gone too far. What if you can't get to her and she hurts/kills you?"

Junjie's eyes never left the fox demon. "I have to try. For Anuli's sake." He slowly made his way towards the fox demon. The beast roared, sending fire over Junjie's head. The fox ducked to avoid being torched. "Anuli, it's me. I know you're still in there."

The beast roared, sending more fire.

"Anuli, stop it!" Junjie snapped. The fox demon paused, as though shocked that the elderly fox had used such a tone. "Now listen to me. I know what Aurora told you. That you didn't have a family and you'd always be an orphan."

"Sorry about that!" Aurora called.

The beast growled a little.

"Anuli, she was lying." Junjie continued. "She just wanted you angry so you'd change into this." He gestured to the fox demon's form. The fire wisps had stopped. "You're not an orphan. You have a family." The fox demon cocked her head to one side. "Siren's your family, right? And what about Shifu? Or Tigress or Shen or any of them? We're your family."

The fox demon growled a little, looking towards the ground. Junjie sighed. "That's not enough, is it? You need someone closer. I know how you feel. I never knew my parents. I never had any siblings, uncles, aunts, or anyone like that. I'm the last of my family as far as I know. But from the moment I met you, I knew I cared about you and your safety. And no, the connection isn't because you're part fox." The beasts raised an eyebrow. "Ok, that was part of the reason." The beast rolled her eyes, which were no longer glowing red but almost black.

Junjie took a few more steps forward until he was right in front of the fox demon. She didn't run or growl; she just stared at him. "Anuli, I've always wanted a family of my own. I wanted a child to raise as my own. But the whole kung fu life kind of got in the way. But you…you are already a magnificent fighter. I see so much of your mother in you." He gently paced a hand on the fox demon's muzzle. "I would love nothing more than to be a father to you. I don't know how well I'll do or if I'll do anything wrong. But I want to try. I want to make you a permanent part of my family." He gently stroked the fox demon's fur. "If you'll agree, then you can come home with me, and forever be known as my daughter."

The fox demon stared into Junjie's eyes for a long moment before sighing. Then, the demon began to change. Her fur disappeared as she shrunk in size. The fur on her head grew longer and went darker. Her skin went dark like the dirt around them. Her muzzle shortened and her teeth went a little less sharp. When the transformation was done, Anuli was sitting on the ground before Junjie. She still had her fox tail and fox ears, but there were some things different. Her long black hair, which used to be curly, was now perfectly straight with fiery orange streaks in it. There were three lines on either side of her nose to look like whiskers. She still had her red sundress on.

Anuli looked up into Junjie's eyes, deep brown on orange, before pulling him into a hug.

"Baba….." she whispered. "Yeah, that has a nice ring to it."

Junjie laughed and hugged her back. "Thank you."

Anuli smiled and stood. Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder crashed. Aurora, Junjie, and Anuli's heads whipped to the mountain.

"Forgot about that." Aurora said.

"Who's this?" Anuli asked, gesturing to the red panda woman.

"Aurora." Junjie said. "We'll explain on the way to the mountain. They took off into the forest. _Please don't be too late. _Junjie thought. _You just have to save her, Shen._


	27. Ch 27 Siren's Love

**Chapter Twenty Seven- Siren's Love**

Shen and Shifu managed to use the ruined castle to get halfway up the mountain before they had to climb the rest of the way. Shen had it easy; he could somewhat fly from rock to rock as they went up. As they did, the storm seemed to be getting worse.

"Do we even have a plan for this?" Shen asked as they climbed.

"Get to Siren and calm her down." Shifu answered.

"That's the extent of our plan?" Shen asked.

"Sort of." Shifu shrugged.

"We're doomed." Shen groaned. They finally reached the final ledge and climbed up. They stood and stared at the raven demon that was once the girl they knew so well. The raven slashed her claws at invisible opponents, swung her large wings about, and roared to the clouds. Her eyes were glowing red, like Anuli's did.

"So what do we do, again?" Shen asked. "If we try and get close to her, she'll blow us off the mountain."

"Siren!" Shifu called. The raven beast turned to the red panda and peacock and screeched. She sent a blast of air that would've sent them flying had they not ducked.

"Really?" Shen snapped. "Was that necessary?"

The raven screeched again and suddenly attacked. Shifu and Shen dove in different directions, but the raven demon kept coming. She snapped her jaws at them, almost taking off some of Shen's tail in the process. The raven demon lunged for Shifu, who jumped and whacked Oogway's staff on her head.

"Sorry." Shifu said as he jumped away. The raven demon continued to chase him.

"We need a new plan!" Shen said as he dodged the raven demon's teeth.

"Really?" Shifu asked sarcastically. Suddenly, the raven demon swiped with her wings and hit Shifu. The elderly master hit the ground hard and the raven slammed a clawed foot on his back. Shifu braced himself for teeth in his flesh, but the pain never came. Shen suddenly slammed into the raven demon, sending them tumbling. Shifu sat up and watched with shock as the raven demon and Shen battled it out for a moment before the raven demon pinned Shen to the ground. She hissed in his face, her eyes glowing murderously.

Then, Shen reached up and kissed the demon's cheek.

The raven demon froze. Shen calmly moved from the demon's grip and stood up. The demon stared at him with a shocked expression.

"Siren?" Shen said. "I know you're in there and I know you can hear me. Sorry about that. It seemed like the only way to calm you down."

"It worked." Shifu noted.

Shen smirked. "Siren, I know Aurora told you that you were unloved; that you were a monster. But she was wrong. You have a family that loves you and cares about you. Just because you're different doesn't mean you're a monster or a demon. Believe me; it took me a long time to figure that out. I was always seen as the freak because I wasn't like other peacocks." Shen sighed. "A peacock is supposed to be colorful and beautiful. I am ghostly white; the color of death. Everyone feared me.

"Siren, I haven't been fully honest with you. At least, not with my past. Before I went through the whole process of dying and then coming back, I was the banished prince of Gongmen City. I created a weapon that would end kung fu and aid me in full takeover of China. The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior came to stop me. A soothsayer predicted that a 'warrior of black and white' would stop me, so I plotted to kill him." Shen sighed. "I almost succeeded."

The raven's eyes had stopped glowing and went bright green. She stared at Shen in shock.

"I don't know why Master Oogway chose to bring me to life again." Shen said. "But I know I was meant to see you and be with you. I can remember our first night together. You told me that story about the Beauty and the Beast. I couldn't understand why you had at first. But the more time we spent together, the more I began to realize what was happening." He gently touched the raven demon's face. "The beauty was falling in love—" he touched his own face. "—with the beast."

The raven demon made a rumbling sound in her throat.

"Siren, I can promise you now that I _do _love you." Shen said. "And you don't have to return that love if you don't feel the same way. But all I want to do is make you happy. You're not a monster or a 'pale faced demon'. You're a beautiful young woman that can punch someone's lights out in one blow. Please just let me help you realize that." Shen smiled softly. "You're very beautiful. I would love nothing more than to see you smile again."

The raven demon made that rumbling sound again, like she was unsure of herself.

"I understand you have a very strong sense of protection over the ones you care about." Shen noted. He gestured to Shifu. "Look now. They're safe. And I promise I will protect them. I'm not the man I once was; in fact, I was a monster before. I want a second chance at life and I want you to help me."

The raven demon's bright green eyes locked with Shen's ruby red ones. Then, the beast sighed. The transformation began as feathers began falling off at a rapid pace. The scaly skin on her face and feet smoothed out to skin. Her talons disappeared. She shrunk considerably in size until Siren was kneeling in front of Shen. She still wore her green dress, but there were some changes to her appearance. Her long obsidian hair was now lots and lots of feathers sprouting from her skull and swishing across her back. She also still had a pair of raven's wings.

"It's the other way around." Siren whispered.

"What?" Shen asked.

Siren looked up into Shen's eyes. "The story of Beauty and the Beast. _You _were the beauty, and _I _was the beast."

Shen was nearly speechless. "W-what?"

"Shen, you are by far the most handsome peacock I've ever seen in my life." Siren said. "You're not a monster." She pulled him into a hug. "I love you, too." She whispered. Shen smiled and returned the hug.

Shifu smiled softly and walked over to the love birds (no pun intended). "Well, that went smoothly."

Siren smiled and pulled Shifu into the hug with them. Shifu tensed at first, but soon relaxed. The storm above them began to subside.

But Shifu had the worst feeling that it was far from over.


	28. Ch 28 The True Villain

**Chapter Twenty Eight- The True Villain**

Tigress breathed a sigh of relief as the storm began to subside. "Thank gods the worst is over."

"I wouldn't say that." Dong warned. "I have the strangest feeling that it's not over; that this is the calm before the true storm."

"I think that's just you getting up there in age." Junjie said.

Dong frowned, but only rolled his eyes in response.

Junjie, Aurora, and the newly transformed Anuli had arrived just a few minutes ago and Anuli had been brought up to date with everything that had happened. She was just a little hesitant towards Aurora turning over a new leaf, but she was accepting nonetheless. Now, they were waiting for Shen and Shifu to return with Siren, if they did return at least.

"What's that?" Ren asked, pointing to the sky. Everyone looked up and saw a large bird come swooping towards them with two white figures on its back.

"Is she still a demon?" Anuli asked.

"It's possible." Aurora said. "She may not be as lucky as you."

They were soon proven wrong, however, when Siren crash-landed on the ground in front of them.

Shifu rubbed his head. "I told you that was a bad idea."

"And I told Shen I couldn't fly yet!" Siren snapped.

"But it was a good test run!" Shen laughed.

Siren looked ready to murder the peacock, but she held back as she stood and brushed herself off. She looked up and found her parents staring at her in shock. Siren, slightly embarrassed, tucked her wings in close and rubbed the back of her feathered head.

"Uh…" she laughed nervously. "Hey Mom. Hey Dad."

Chao cleared his throat. "Well, this is not what I was expecting."

Siren laughed. "Same here."

Ren shook her head and pulled her daughter into a hug. "You look beautiful, even with feathers."

Siren smiled. "Thanks." Chao looked towards Shen and mouthed, _Thank you. _Shen bowed in response.

"So where do we go from here?" Dong asked.

"Home." Aurora said. "So I can fire my little helpers in the Jade Palace."

"Sounds good let's go." Junjie urged. "The sooner we leave this world, the better." He turned to Anuli. "No offense."

"None taken." Anuli assured. "But how do we get home?"

"The same way you came." Aurora said. "Come on. I'll show you." She led the way through the forest, the group following. Shifu stayed beside Aurora, taking her paw in his. The red pandas smiled at one another. Junjie resisted the urge to gag.

"So can someone please explain how going back the way we came will help?" Siren asked.

"When you went down the Moon Pool, you basically went through a big tunnel that spit you out into the river." Aurora explained. "You have to go back through that tunnel to go home. But we can't just swim down there because the current will push us away. So we have to go a different way."

"Which way is that?" Anuli asked.

"Over a waterfall." Aurora answered.

"What?"

"We'll be fine." Aurora assured.

_Thunk!_

Everyone turned to Dong, who had just run into a tree. He rubbed his forehead.

"Father, are you alright?" Ren asked.

"I just have the strangest feeling." Dong said. "That it's not over."

"Well, we have a bunch of idiots to fight at the palace." Tigress noted. "And it will be quite a pleasure." She cracked her knuckles with a grin on her face.

"No, there's something more." Dong said, staring at the ground.

Shifu and Aurora's ears suddenly flicked towards the trees. "Do you hear something?" Shifu asked.

"I do." Junjie noted.

Anuli's ears swiveled around before she turned. Her eyes widened. "Car!"

"What?" Tigress asked.

"Car!" Siren shouted, pointing. Everyone dove in different directions as the vehicle, a large white van, suddenly came crashing through the woods and skidded to a halt. The group stood, coughing from the kicked up dirt and cautiously approached the van. The door to the driver's seat opened and a figure stepped out.

The figure was a lioness. She had on a sparkling red dress, about knee length with slits on the sides. The straps were made of little diamonds. A ruby on a chain hung around the lioness's neck. A small but elegant crown rested on her golden brown fur. Her eyes were a little scary; they were blood red, a little like Shen's but darker.

"Well, that was certainly interesting." The lioness said as she brushed herself off.

Aurora's eyes widened and she bowed. "Headmistress Mei!"

The lioness looked down at the red panda woman. "Do I know you?" Aurora realized her mistake and quickly transformed to her panther form. The lioness, Headmistress Mei, finally understood. "Oh! Little Aurora! I almost didn't recognize you."

"_This _is your headmistress?" Shifu asked. "From the academy?"

"The very same." Headmistress Mei nodded. "And you all would be….who?"

"Grandmaster of the Jade Palace." Shifu said. "These are some of my allies." The rest of the group greeted a little cautiously. Dong, especially, looked wary.

"So _you _are Shifu." Mei said. "How nice to meet you."

_Must not be nice, considering your tone of voice. _Shifu thought. He also realized that he never told her his name.

Aurora stepped forward. "Headmistress, what are you doing out here?"

"Well, I was still in the castle when it collapsed." Mei explained. "When you disappeared, I came to find you. Is the plan coming along well?"

"The plan has changed." Aurora said. "My heart is no longer broken. But we can help you finish your plan."

"We?" Junjie asked. Chao stomped on the fox's foot to silence him.

"Thank you so much, Aurora." Mei said graciously. "It will mean a lot to me."

"I only have one thing to ask before we move on." Aurora said. Mei looked expectant. "Can you take away my powers?"

"What?" Shifu asked.

Aurora turned to him. "I don't want to hurt anyone else. I've been abusing my powers and don't deserve them." She turned to Mei and bowed. "I would feel much better if someone more responsible had them."

Mei smiled and nodded. "Draw a circle in the ground with that." She pointed to Oogway's staff. Shifu was hesitant, but trusted Aurora enough to let her have it. Aurora drew a circle in the dirt before handing the staff back. Aurora stood in the middle of the circle. Mei began to murmur words and the circle began to glow.

Dong suddenly recognized something about Mei and her behavior. "Aurora! Don't!"

Too late.

The circle glowed brighter in a burst of energy. Tendrils of light came from Aurora's arms and chest, going up and into the ruby necklace around Mei's neck. Aurora slowly transformed to her original form: a red panda. The circle's light died. Aurora almost fell over had Shifu not caught her.

Mei sighed, feeling the power course through her veins. "I've waited a long time for that." She looked towards Shifu and Aurora. Shifu protectively pushed Aurora behind him, holding Oogway's staff ready. Mei scoffed. "You think a puny stick will stop me?" She launched a ball of energy.

Dong suddenly appeared in front of Shifu, catching the energy and redirecting it into a tree. "Nice try."

Mei looked amused. "I know you. Dong, isn't it? One of the greatest sorcerers to ever live."

"So you realize what I can do if you don't return my apprentice's powers to her." Dong suggested.

"Oh I realize what you can do." Mei nodded. "But I don't think you can make me." Suddenly, Junjie jumped onto her head, pulling her ears. Mei screamed. "Get off me you little rat!" Chao moved in next, swiping at Mei's feet with his tail. Anuli jumped and kicked Mei into the van. Junjie jumped away just in time as Dong ran forward, slammed his hand into Mei's neck, and held a flaming fist to her face.

"Persuaded yet?" Dong asked.

Mei growled. "Not a chance." She put her paw to his chest and sent him flying into a tree. He slumped to the ground, unconscious. Siren launched a whirlwind to blast Mei back against the car while Anuli shot fire from her fists. Mei rolled away just as the fire scorched the van's metal hide.

Mei stood and brushed off her dress. As she did, the sparkly red dress shifted and changed into black pants and a black shirt. "Interesting. The beasts of fire and air, finally released." She looked at her opponents. "Let's see, an all-powerful sorceress against a couple demons and some kung fu masters." Mei cracked her knuckles. "Show me what you can do."

Ren and Chao came first, Chao swiping for Mei's feet and Ren aiming for Mei's head. Mei pulled her legs up to float cross legged in the air while she caught Ren's fist. Mei took Ren's head and slammed it against the van. As Ren staggered back, Mei focused on blocking Chao's attacks. While still floating in midair, Mei was able to kick her feet out and send Chao to the ground. She levitated to the top of the van and stood there, waiting for her next opponent. Shen launched a couple knives as he and Tigress charged for her. Mei stopped the knives and sent them flying back towards the pair. Tigress and Shen ducked as the knives grazed their fur and feathers. Tigress jumped to the roof of the van and swiped her claws towards the cat's face. Mei grabbed Tigress's paw and twisted it painfully behind her back. Shen slashed his sword, but Mei summoned a sword in her own free paw and parried his attacks. Then she knocked his sword away and threw Tigress into him, sending them both tumbling off the van.

Anuli and Siren moved in for the next attack, sending a whirlwind of fire towards the sorceress. Mei caught the fire whirlwind and unraveled it, using the stream of fire like a whip. Anuli and Siren ducked as the whip snapped over their heads. Anuli managed to catch one end and hold it firm. Siren jumped up and swung her wings around. Mei raised a hand and lifted Siren into the air telekinetically. She sent Siren careening into Anuli. The fire stream disappeared as Anuli and Siren crashed in the dirt.

Aurora picked up a rock and threw it at Mei's head. The lioness actually managed to catch it and turn it to dust in her paw. She turned to Aurora with a hard gaze. Shifu jumped towards Mei, but the lioness waved her paw and an invisible force sent Shifu slamming into the hood of the van. Mei summoned vines from the ground that wrapped around Aurora's wrists and ankles, immobilizing her. Mei created a ball of energy and sent it flying.

"Aura!" Shifu shouted. He jumped in front of her and swung Oogway's staff back. Then he swung it forward like a bat.

The wood connected with the energy and sent it flying into the forest. Everyone stared as a small blue mushroom cloud erupted from the trees.

Mei looked back towards the staff in Shifu's hands, undamaged. "So the rumors are true." She whispered. She smiled. Then, without warning, she telekinetically summoned the staff from Shifu's hands. He made a wild grab for it but the ground suddenly went loose and he sunk to his chest into the ground.

As Mei gripped Oogway's staff, the air suddenly got a static feeling to it, like an electric storm about to strike. Mei floated a few feet off the ground. She took a breath.

"Now _this _is power." She sighed. "How pathetic can you get? I'll see you all later. I've got a world to run." She flew off, leaving everyone else behind.

"We have to stop her." Dong urged as he stood. He managed to loosen the dirt and get Shifu out of the ground.

"Wait, she's not going towards the city." Anuli noticed. She pointed in one direction. "Beijing is that way." She pointed in the direction Mei went. "Where's she going if she's not going towards the town?"

"She didn't mean the human world." Aurora said as Dong cut her free. "She's going to our world."

"Then she knows how to get to the Jade Palace." Shifu said. "We have to get there now."

"We'll never be able to catch up to her." Shen said. "Only a two of us can fly and we can't carry everyone else."

"I know how we can catch her." Anuli said. She gestured to the van.

"Can you drive?" Siren asked.

"Yeah, my dad taught me." Anuli said. She opened the passenger door. "Everyone in!" She hopped into the driver's seat as everyone else nervously piled into the van. Shifu sat in the shotgun seat.

"Are you sure you can do this?" he asked.

"Of course!" Anuli assured. "My dad taught me everything he knows and we have keys." She turned on the van and shifted the gears. "Everyone ready?"

"No." Chao muttered.

"Then let's go kick some lioness tail!" Anuli whooped. She slammed on the gas.

The car lurched backwards, the bumper slamming into a tree. Everyone inside the car (minus Anuli and Shifu) was thrown into a pile on the floor.

"ANULI!" everyone shouted.

"Sorry!" Anuli said quickly. "That was reverse! _This _is drive!" She changed the gears again and hit the gas. The car shot forward and into the forest.

**A/N: Ok guys, really. I hate to sound like I'm complaining, which I'm not, but can I get just a little bit of feedback here? Dying to hear what you guys love/like/hate. It's nerve racking to try and write something you guys like and worry if you will like it or not. **

**Again, not complaining. Really not. But a little feedback would really make my day. Please? ...I'll give you a cookie... (puppy dog pout)**


	29. Ch 29 Van Chase

**Chapter Twenty Nine- Van Chase**

The van shook violently as it sped through the forest, bouncing every time the wheels hit tree roots and rocks.

"Anuli!" Siren called from the back. "Can't we make this ride any smoother?"

"Of course not!" Anuli called back. "We're in the forest not on a road!"

"I think I prefer the rickshaw." Shen groaned.

Anuli partially ignored them as she kept her foot on the gas. Shifu looked out the window, searching for Mei. Aurora had joined them up front, directing Anuli towards the river that would take them home.

"Hey, is that her or is it a bird?" Tigress asked, pointing out the window. Everyone who was able to looked out the window to see a black and golden brown figure in the sky.

"It's her." Aurora growled.

"Hang on." Anuli said. "We're gonna catch up with her." She pressed the gas harder and the car sped off. In minutes, they were almost directly beneath the sorceress.

Mei looked down and noticed the van. She launched a lightning bolt towards the vehicle before continuing. Anuli jerked the wheel to one side to avoid the electricity, but managed to keep on the same path to follow the lioness. Shen looked through the window and glared at the lioness. He eyed Oogway's staff in her hand. Then, without warning, he punched out the window of the van and slipped out to the roof.

"Shen!" Junjie shouted. "Have you lost it?"

"Yep!" Shen shouted from the roof. He dug his talons into the roof and pulled one of his knives from his sleeve. He stared at his target and took a breath. Then, he let the knife fly. The silver blade flew swiftly and smoothly until it impaled Mei's hand. She roared in pain and dropped Oogway's staff. Shen reached up and caught the peach wood as it fell. But before he could climb back into the van, Mei landed in front of him, snarling. She lunged for the staff, but Shen used the wood to knock her aside. Mei dug her claws into the van and pulled herself up, attacking Shen once more.

Siren jumped as something or someone was pounded into the roof. "We have to help him."

"Not when the car's going 120 in a forest!" Anuli snapped. "Shen will be fine."

"I'm not leaving him!" Siren insisted.

"Siren's right." Shifu agreed. "We have to help him."

"We're coming up on some trees." Aurora pointed out. "Shen will duck and Mei will get knocked off."

"But we can't—" Junjie started.

"Listen up!" Anuli shouted. "Anyone that set's one foot out of this car will get torched!" She held up a flaming fist to make her point. "Got it?" Everyone nodded, a little afraid of Anuli at that point.

Well, almost everyone.

"Shifu get back here!" Aurora shouted. Too late. The small master had already climbed onto the hood of the car and jumped out of view. "I'm going to kill him."

"I'll help." Junjie offered.

Shifu aimed a kick for Mei's head, but the lioness ducked to avoid Shen's attack and the smaller master went sailing over her head. Shen grabbed Shifu's foot before he could fall off. But that distracted him long enough for Mei to grab a hold of Oogway's staff. Thankfully, Shen wasn't about to let go. He and Mei locked gazes before the battle resumed.

Mei aimed a kick for Shen's skull, which he blocked and retaliated by swinging his sword towards the cat's pretty little face. Mei caught the blade expertly in her claws. Shifu jumped over them and landed behind Mei. Before he could attack, however, Mei managed to kick him in the chest, knocking him off the roof and onto the hood of the car. A sword materialized in Mei's hand and she swung it for Shen. The two of them fought fiercely with their blades, not letting go of the staff for a second.

When Shifu hit the hood, Anuli jumped with a scream, almost veering off course. "Shifu! Get your fluffy ringed tail back in this car!"

"Sorry!" Shifu called, climbing back on the roof. "Can't hear you!"

"Again, I'm going to kill him." Aurora repeated.

"We'll help." Tigress groaned.

Mei skillfully blocked an attack from Shen before swinging her sword behind her. Shifu went to his knees to avoid getting decapitated. Mei swiped the pummel of her sword across Shen's face and spun in around to impale Shifu. The red panda moved at the last second and the blade went up to its hilt into the roof of the van.

"What happened?" Anuli asked, her eyes glued on the forest.

"Junjie almost became a fox kabob." Siren joked.

Junjie's ears flattened and he gulped, Mei's blade inches from his head.

Mei growled and blocked an attack from Shen's sword, redirecting the blade to hit the van. This time, it was Chao who nearly got impaled. Mei kicked Shen in the stomach before back handing him to the ground. Shen quickly got to his feet, but Mei jutted the curved end of the staff into his neck, pushing him dangerously close to the edge of the speeding van. Shifu made a grab for the staff, but Mei spun around and knocked him into Shen. The bird managed to catch the red panda before the two of them could fall off.

Mei smirked, pointing the staff towards them. A ball of energy, crackling with lightning, appeared in the crook of the staff. "Tell me, can peacocks really fly?"

"Duck!" Shifu suddenly said.

"I'm not a duck!" Shen snapped.

"No! Duck!" He went to the ground, pulling Shen with him by the peacock's crest of feathers. Mei turned around and didn't have time to shout before a tree branch hit her in the face. She stayed glued to the branch for a few seconds before she slipped off and fell to the ground.

Shen and Shifu sat up and looked back at the branch.

"Oh, _that _kind of duck." Shen realized.

"In the words of the Dragon Warrior," Shifu groaned. "No duh." He noticed Oogway's staff on the edge of the van and reached for it.

No sooner had he took a hold of it did a golden brown paw pull the staff and him off the van. Shen ran to the edge and saw Mei, gripping to the van with her claws and holding Oogway's staff out behind her. Shifu was still hanging on, dangling a few feet from the ground. Mei growled and tried to shake him off, to no avail. Shifu somehow got on top of the staff and jumped towards Mei. The lioness grabbed Shifu's skull and slammed him into the back window, cracking it. Dazed, he started to slip off the van.

Shen jumped down and simultaneously did two things: kick Mei off the van and grab the windshield wiper in one wing while grabbing the back of Shifu's collar in his talons. Shifu shook his head to clear his vision and was a little scared to see his nose about half a foot from the ground.

"Uh, Shen?" Shifu said.

"Yes?" Shen asked.

"Please pull me up."

"Ok."

Shen pulled Shifu up to the roof of the van. They suddenly felt a rush of wind and looked up to see Mei flying off again with Oogway's staff in hand.

"So close." Shen nearly cursed.

"We should be at the falls soon." Shifu assured. "We'll get it back."

Suddenly, the van screeched to a halt. Shifu and Shen flew forward, hitting the hood of the car before hitting the ground. Everyone climbed out of the van and Anuli walked up to the peacock and red panda. She tapped her foot on the ground with a frown on her face.

"Did I or did I not say 'don't get out of the van'?" She asked.

"You can punish us later." Shen promised as he went to retrieve his sword. "Where's Mei?"

"Went over the falls." Aurora said. "She'll beat us to the palace."

"Then we'll be right behind her." Shifu said. "How do we get home?"

Aurora led them to the edge of the river, twenty feet from the drop over the waterfall. "We jump in here. Get about the center of the river and let the current push you the rest of the way. Don't struggle and don't panic. Trust your instincts. For Siren," she turned to the raven/human hybrid. "Keep your wings tucked in tight. That goes for you too, Shen."

"Are you sure about this?" Tigress asked uncertainly.

"It's how my mother got to your world." Ren said. "It will work."

"Go two at a time so we don't get tangled up or something." Aurora suggested.

"I'll go first." Dong offered. "Tigress, come with me." The tiger master seemed wary, but followed the sorcerer to the water. The two of them took hands and jumped in. they resurfaced two seconds later and swam to the center of the waterway. They kept holding hands until they disappeared over the edge of the falls. Dong whooped and laughed on the way down. Tigress screamed a little.

"Next!" Aurora called.

"We'll go!" Ren said, holding up Chao's hand.

"Uh, I don't—" Chao didn't have time to finish before Ren pulled him into the water with her. "Cold!" he suddenly shouted when he came up. Ren only laughed, pulling her husband close as they went over. Junjie and Shen were chosen to go next; Siren and Anuli pushed them into the water. They shouted in terror as they went over.

Siren glanced over at her friend and noticed the fox girl's troubled look. "Something wrong, Anuli?"

"No." Anuli shook her head. "Just, be careful out there. That Mei chick is crazy."

"You're acting like you're not coming with us." Shifu noted.

"I'm not." Anuli shrugged. "Why would I? My house is that way." She jutted her thumb in the direction behind her.

"But _home _is that way." Siren said, pointing down the falls.

"Siren, I don't belong there." Anuli protested.

"You don't have much here, do you?" Aurora pointed out. "And don't you _want _to come with us?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"But nothing." Siren interrupted.

"I hate to bring this up." Shifu said. "But it's not like you have much to go back to except an empty house."

Anuli opened her mouth to argue, but found she couldn't. He did have a valid point. She was sad that her parents were dead. But that also meant that Shifu was right; all she had to go back to was an empty house and a world she hated to live in.

"Well, though I didn't have much time to pack, I guess I've always wanted to travel." Anuli laughed. Shifu, Siren, and Aurora laughed with her.

"Dong can magically transport your things to our world." Aurora assured.

"Really?" Anuli asked excitedly.

"Of course." Aurora nodded. "I can too once we get my magic back. Now let's go!" She jumped into the water, pulling Shifu after her. He came up sputtering.

"That was _not _funny!" he snapped, despite Aurora's laughing. They went over the falls, hand in hand. Siren looked back at her friend. The fox girl stared at the river. Her red streaked black hair swished as a breeze blew, as though trying to push her forward. Siren took Anuli's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

"Ready to go home?" Siren asked.

Anuli looked towards her raven friend. She smiled. "Home…." They jumped in the water.

When they came up, they held onto each other, looking towards the falls as it got closer and closer. When they finally went over the edge, Siren wrapped her wings around the two of them.

"CANNONBALL!" They screamed.

_SPLASH!_

The girls were careful to hold their breaths as the force of the waterfall pushed them down. They continued to sink for a second before a current pulled at them. The girls opened their eyes, but only saw pitch blackness. After a second, the darkness lessoned a little as the rocks and sand turned to smooth marble. Siren looked up, expecting to see the golden dragon that once held the Dragon Scroll above her. She imagined jumping from the Moon Pool, wings spread and water flying. But she noticed something odd. The current stopped pulling and the girls were forced to swim the rest of the way. But the darkness wouldn't lesson. Did they take the wrong turn or something? Was it nighttime in the Valley of Peace?

Siren and Anuli burst through the surface with a gasp. Their heads hit something hard and they went under again. They rose slowly this time, forced to turn their heads a little to get their mouths above water.

"What the heck was that?" Anuli sputtered.

"Siren? Anuli?" Ren's voice sounded from next to them. "Is that you?"

"We're here!" Siren said.

"What happened?" Aurora's voice piped up. "Did we take a wrong turn?"

"It was a one way portal." Dong's voice reasoned.

"Hold on." Anuli said. "I'll get us some light." She managed to get her fist above water and made a fireball in her palm. She found herself in the middle of the circle everyone had made. The eight smooth walls that surrounded them gave the clear message that they were in the Moon Pool. But something was wrong. There was a sheet of wood above their heads, leaving only a few feet of space for air.

"Something's blocking the Moon Pool!" Shifu realized. "We're trapped!"

**A/N: Thank you those who responded to my Author's Note last chapter. You guys rock! Please keep it up. Anything I need to change or add?**


	30. Ch 30 Fate's Surprises Strike Again

**Chapter Thirty- Fate's Surprises Strike Again**

"How in the good name of Heaven can we be trapped?" Tigress demanded.

"Earth to Tigress!" Siren snapped. "We've got a big slate of wood over our heads! Is that not obvious?"

"Both of you shut it!" Aurora ordered. "Mei must've done this. We have to get out."

"How?" Shen asked. "It's too heavy to lift and it's not like we have any footing."

"We also can tread water forever." Junjie noted.

"I think I have an idea." Siren offered.

"Let's hear it." Dong said eagerly.

"Alright, everyone with claws with me on this wall." Siren instructed. "Everyone else, stay across from us." Tigress, Shifu, Aurora, Chao, Junjie, and Siren moved to one side while the others backed off. "Ok, now everyone ready?" Everyone nodded. "People with claws, listen close. We're going to dig our claws into the wood and use the wall as a brace to push the wood over. We may not be able to get it off, but we can get it open just enough to slip out." Everyone nodded in understanding and the members with claws got ready.

"On three." Tigress said. "One….."

"Two….." Siren said, pushing against the wall.

"Three!" Shifu snapped. They pulled on the wood as hard as they could. Anuli kept the fire going as the wood above them began to creak. Soon, a crack of light could be seen.

"It's working!" Ren said.

"Yeah, but this thing is heavy!" Chao hissed. He flexed his claws. "It hurts."

"We only have a little more to go." Siren urged. "Then we can just grab the edge and push." They got ready again. Shen joined them and raised his talons to the wood. They pulled once more, and the wood began to move. Gold coins dropped from the crack and sunk into the water. They managed to get the hole big enough to the point where they could grab the plank. Shifu stopped them.

"Junjie and I will go first." He said. "We'll call you when the coast is clear."

"Why do I have to come?" Junjie demanded. Shifu pulled him along as they peered over the edge of the pool. Siren and Chao helped them up to solid ground. The fox and red panda walked slowly, looking all around and staying in strong fighting stances. The Hall of Warriors looked mostly untouched, minus the throne and gold that rested on the wood that covered the Moon Pool.

"I think the coast is clear." Junjie said.

Shifu nodded and turned to the pool. "Alright, everyone up." he said in a low voice. "The coast is-"

A force suddenly lifted Shifu and Junjie off the floor and into the air. They were suddenly thrown to the floor once again. They rolled out of the way as a large bird landed where they once stood.

"Fenghuang?" Junjie realized. "What are you doing?"

The owl didn't answer. She slashed her sword-like feathers towards the fox, who had to lean back to avoid getting his nose sliced off. Shifu jumped onto Fenghuang's back, but the owl flipped and nearly crushed the red panda under her back. Shifu was on his feet in two seconds, but the owl kicked him into Junjie before tackling the smaller mammals. The brief skirmish ended with Fenghuang pinning Junjie and Shifu to the ground in her talons. By then, the rest of the group had come up on solid ground and witness the event. But before they could rush in to help, they were surrounded by Fang, Dúyé, and their minions. Mei walked up to them.

"Well done, Fenghuang." Mei congratulated. "It seems I can trust you after all."

Fenghuang didn't answer. She stared into the eyes of her prey beneath her feet. In those purple orbs were clear signs of worry and regret, like she was trying to tell them, "Sorry."

"Let them go now." Dong ordered. "And return my apprentice's powers to her."

"Is that all?" Mei asked.

"There's a long list of things we need you to do." Anuli assured. "Personally, I would feel better torching you." She summoned fire in her palms.

"I don't think you want to do that." Mei said. "Otherwise, I'll have to kill my captives, and I don't think your friend Shifu would like that."

Shifu tensed a little. "What are you talking about?" he called, keeping his eyes on Fenghuang.

"I hear your students put up quite the fight." Mei taunted. "Almost had to kill them."

Shifu tried to get up, but Fenghuang forced him down again. She shook her head a little in warning.

Mei continued her taunting. "You really thought that you can beat me?" she twirled Oogway's staff. "I have power beyond your wildest dreams. This valley is _mine._"

"Not with us here." Siren hissed.

Mei focused on Siren. For a long time, their gazes were locked. Then, Mei smiled. "Fenghuang."

"Yes?" Fenghuang finally spoke.

"We're going to test our little raven demon." Mei announced. "Throw the rats off the mountain."

"What?" Siren asked.

"A simple test." Mei said.

"For what?" Siren demanded.

Mei shrugged. "Dunno. But I can't wait to see your results. Restrain the others and leave the demon free." As Fang and his minions followed Mei's orders, she turned to Fenghuang. "What are you waiting for? Fly them out there and drop them!"

Fenghuang stared at the lioness. "But that wasn't part of the deal."

"It is now." Mei said impatiently.

"I thought you were more honorable." Fenghuang hissed.

Mei huffed. "Make your choice, owl."

Fenghuang looked down at Junjie and Shifu. They each took a hold of Fenghuang's right leg. Their Tri-Dragon of Death marks glowed brightly as Fenghuang got off them and helped the masters to their feet. Mei's eyes widened when she realized who she was staring at. Shifu, Junjie, and Fenghuang charged, but Mei had other ideas. Ropes were summoned from her fingertips and wrapped around the trio. They hit the ground hard.

"Well," Fenghuang groaned. "I didn't see that coming."

Mei telekinetically lifted the trio and sent them floating over the edge of the mountain.

"Don't you dare harm them!" Aurora shouted.

"Or what?" Mei demanded. "Are you going to stop me?" She looked towards Siren. "Make your choice, demon. Will you save them or attack me?"

She dropped them.

Siren ran forward, going straight towards Mei. The lioness prepared herself, but Siren suddenly rushed past her and jumped off the ledge.

"Siren!" Ren screamed.

Anuli started attacking, shooting fire everywhere. She charged straight for Mei while the others took on their captives.

The wind whistled in Siren's ears as she neared her falling friends. She managed to flap her wings a little to catch up and took a hold of the ropes that bound them.

"Are you crazy?" Junjie shouted over the wind.

"I wasn't thinking!" Siren snapped.

"Since when did you get wings?" Fenghuang asked.

"Long story!" Siren said. "How do I stop?"

"We're dead." Junjie groaned.

"No we're not!" Shifu snapped. "Fenghuang, you have wings. What do we do?"

"Spread your wings and we can glide to the bottom!" Fenghuang ordered.

"I can't fly!" Siren said.

"It's not flying!" Fenghuang said. "It's gliding! Just spread your wings and let the wind catch you! Hurry!"

Siren focused hard. The wings on her back were a part of her; they worked if she thought about it. Instinctively, the large black wings stretched and straightened out, the feathers flapping in the wind. Then, the wind caught a hold of her and she was jerked upward. She kept a firm grip on the rope as she started gliding through the air. Siren panted a little, her eyes wide.

"I did it?" she breathed.

"You're flying!" Fenghuang cheered.

"Tell me when we're on the ground!" Junjie whimpered, closing his eyes.

Siren laughed. She flapped her wings, getting a little higher. If she didn't have the extra weight, she would've been doing circles and figure eights in the air.

"Siren!" Shifu had to raise his voice over the wind. "Get us down!"

"Right!" Siren nodded. She angled downwards and began circling down towards the ground. But as they neared the treetops, Siren suddenly remembered something. "How do I land?"

"Just land!" Fenghuang shrugged.

"How?" Siren repeated.

"It's easy!" Fenghuang scoffed.

_CRASH!_

The four of them ended up in a heap on the ground. They groaned simultaneously.

"That was _not _easy." Siren grumbled as she freed her friends.

"You need some lessons." Fenghuang noted.

"Really?" Shifu asked sarcastically. "I didn't think that at all."

"Alright, enough." Siren intervened. "We have to get back to the palace."

"Tri-Dragon of Death strikes again!" Junjie jumped and punched the air. The other three rolled their eyes as they walked into the forest. Suddenly, Shifu and Junjie stopped simultaneously.

"Did you hear that?" they asked at the same time. "I did." They shared a look.

"We are _not _starting that again." Junjie declared.

"Thank you." Shifu said gratefully.

"What did you hear?" Siren asked.

"Someone's following us." Shifu said. Everyone stood still and silent when a twig broke nearby. They immediately circled with their backs facing each other. They waited, ready to fight, watching the forest that surrounded them. Suddenly, a force connected with Shifu and they tumbled a few feet away.

"You're alive!"

Shifu gasped in pain as the panther teen hugged him tight. Her twin stood nearby, laughing.

"Ling!" Shifu gasped. "Put me down!"

Ling laughed and obeyed, standing next to her twin, Lily. The panther teens were dressed in black with their battle fans at their hips.

"We thought you guys were dead!" Lily exclaimed. "We heard how Junjie fell into the Moon Pool and we were horrified. I went up to the palace one day to see how you were coping, and I find all those freaks up there! Ling and I came back the next day to find Po and the Five, but those guys were too much."

"They aren't…." Shifu couldn't finish. "My students….."

"They're not dead." Ling assured. Shifu sighed in immense relief. "They're being held in the dungeon. We're still trying to fight back, but it's been tough, especially with you guys gone. But luckily, we managed to find some help."

"We're ready to do what we can." Siren assured.

Lily stared at the human/raven hybrid. "Why do you—"

"Long story." Junjie interrupted. "Let's save the valley first."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that we picked up some friends." Ling said.

"Us?" Junjie asked.

"Nope." Lily shook her head, smiling. "Some warriors coming for a visit. We intercepted them before they could be captured."

"Warriors?" Fenghuang repeated.

"From where?" Shifu asked.

Ling smiled. "Gongmen City." She turned to the trees. "Come on out, guys."

Shifu, Junjie, Fenghuang, and Siren watched as three beings came from the tress: a large blue ox, a crocodile with a mace head on his tail, and a wolf that had only one eye; the other eye was closed and scarred. The wolf still wore his old black armor but no longer held his hammer.

"Is that some sort of raven demon?" the Wolf Boss asked.

"That's right." Siren nodded, smiling.

"It's a long story." Shifu said. "We'll explain later. But it's good to see you, Masters Ox and Croc."

Master Ox, Master Croc, and the Wolf Boss bowed. "We are at your service, Grandmaster Shifu." Ox assured.

"So what exactly are we facing?" Croc asked.

Siren exchanged looks with Shifu. "You guys believe in magic?"


	31. Ch 31 And So It Begins

**A/N: Quick note here: I've seen a lot of stories with the Wolf Boss and they usually give him a name like Lang or something. Lang is the most popular. But I'm just shortening his name to "Wolf". It makes it unique, I think. Just a head's up: "Wolf" = "Wolf Boss"**

**Chapter Thirty One- And So It Begins**

"So there's a crazy lioness up there that's a sorceress?" Wolf clarified.

"Yep." Siren nodded.

"And everyone inside is being held captive so she can take over the Valley of Peace?" Ox asked.

"Yes." Shifu nodded.

"And our plan is that we have to go in there, provoke a crazy cat, free the others, and try and beat her tail to the next dynasty?" Croc finished.

"That about sums it up." Junjie nodded.

"Oh, and there are some of her minions we have to beat." Fenghuang added. "One of them is an elephant, so be prepared."

Croc, Ox, and Wolf stared at the masters and hybrid before them.

"One question." Wolf said. "Are you crazy?"

"We don't have a choice, Wolf." Siren said. "My family's up there and I won't let them down."

"None of us will." Shifu assured.

"I'm with Wolf on this one." Lily said. "We're going up against an all-powerful sorceress and her goonies, consisting of two pythons, an elephant, a porcupine, a dhole, and a black bear. We're the only ones that can fight them now until we can free the others."

"You're point?" Fenghuang asked with a bit of annoyance.

"Our point is how can we beat them?" Ling said. "Even with all of us being skilled masters, we can't fight Mei's minions and then her."

"We know that." Siren assured.

"You do?" the twins asked, cocking their heads to one side.

"That's why the plan will work." Junjie said. "Some of us will distract Mei and her little friends while someone goes to free the others."

"That's just it." Croc said. "There are only nine of us who have to battle six other warriors and a sorceress."

"I don't understand." Fenghuang said. "What's the problem?"

"It'll take five of us to take on the warriors, not counting the two or three it'll take to fight that elephant." Ox explained. "Then we have Mei, who's a sorceress. If only one of us distract her, who knows how long it'll take before she kills them? Who's supposed to free the others then?"

"We need to divide up the jobs." Siren said. "Junjie, you're the sneakiest one out of all of us. You go free Anuli and the others."

"Me?" Junjie asked.

"Yes, you!" Siren snapped. "You can sneak in. The rest of us will take on Fang and the rest of those idiots."

"What about Mei?" Fenghuang asked.

"I'll take care of her." Shifu said.

Everyone stared at him. "Alone?" Siren asked. "You can't be serious."

"I'm dead serious." Shifu said firmly. "I know how she fights. I can distract her while you get inside."

"Shifu, you can't—" Siren started.

"We don't have time to discuss!" Shifu snapped. "We have to stop her. Keep the battle in the Jade Palace and not in the village so no one gets hurt. Are we clear?" Siren almost protested again, but Wolf covered her mouth with his paw. She growled, but nodded with the others.

"Just one more problem." Fenghuang said. "How do we get in? Siren and I are the only one with wings and Siren doesn't have full control."

"I know a way in." Junjie said, a sly smile on his face.

"Why do I suddenly feel nervous?" Wolf asked uncertainly.

Shifu groaned, knowing full well what Junjie was talking about. "You'll see."

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Anuli shouted in frustration and anger as she kicked at the door again. A burst of fire nearly made her jump back, but she stood firm. So did the door. Anuli nearly screamed, pulling at her hair, and resumed her attack on the poor, magic-enhanced prison door. The rest of the prisoners watched a good distance from the fire bending fox hybrid. Apparently Mei had put a spell on the door to make it indestructible; even Dong's magic had no effect. That didn't stop Anuli; she had been pounding on the door for almost half an hour nonstop.

The other prisoners, Po, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis, had talked with Chao and the others about the events in the human world (the shortened version, of course). Now that they were sure that Shen wasn't going to attack them and the newcomers were friendly, Po and the boys told what happened after they disappeared.

"We tried to fight them off, but they were pretty tough, especially with Tigress gone." Po had said.

"Then that crazy sorceress came into the picture." Mantis had added.

"She beat us down pretty bad." Monkey had nearly cursed.

"They would've had killed us had Viper not come into the picture." Crane had explained. "One of the pythons, Dúyé, had taken a liking to her. So she made an agreement with Fang. If they spared our lives, she would allow Dúyé to court her."

"Ew." Everyone had groaned.

Now, they were still in that one large cell, watching as Anuli continued her futile struggle with the door. Aurora calmly walked up to the fox hybrid, staring into the girl's face. Anuli's face was drenched in sweat, her fox ears were flat, her eyes were ablaze with fury, and her breathing came out in pants through clenched teeth.

"Anuli." Aurora said softly. "Please stop."

"I can't stop." Anuli growled. "Not yet!" She punched the wood again.

"Anuli!" Aurora snapped. Anuli's wild eyes darted to meet Aurora's gaze. "Anuli, look at your hands." Anuli looked and was a little shocked to see her knuckles were bleeding; her blood covered most of her hands and a good portion of the door. Anuli almost started punching the door again, but Dong suddenly was at her side and gently pulled her away. He helped her sit down as he murmured spells under his breath. The wounds on Anuli's hands closed.

"I just want to get out." Anuli said in a low, almost whimpering, voice. "I want to get to Baba….."

"Baba?" Tigress asked.

"Junjie's taken Anuli in as a daughter." Aurora reminded her. It only reminded everyone about Junjie, Shifu, and Fenghuang being thrown off the mountain and Siren going after them.

"They couldn't have survived it." Monkey said. "Even if Siren could somehow glide them to the bottom, the impact of the land would serious wound them if it didn't kill them."

"She never had any flying practice whatsoever." Tigress said. "The odds of her spontaneously learning aren't in her favor."

"We can't give up!" Anuli screamed. Everyone recoiled at her voice rising. The fox girl ran to the door and hit it with every ounce of strength and fire she could manage.

"Anuli, you can't just constantly beat on that door and expect it to fall." Dong said. "It's magic. It won't break anytime soon."

"I don't care!" Anuli shouted. Everyone cringed. Aurora feared that the fox demon would be released again and then it would be pure chaos by then.

"Anuli, you have to be calm." Aurora said calmly. "I'm sure Junjie and the others are fine and they're coming to help us."

"Yeah right." Tigress grumbled. "Face it; we're dead."

BOOM!

Everyone jumped at the explosion. Anuli peered through the bars of the door but saw nothing.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Oh, I've got a bad feeling about this." Dong said in a low voice.

Shifu ducked as a hunk of wood flew over his head. "I liked that gate..." he muttered. He peered over the rock he was hiding behind and saw Mei in the arena, blowing things up or changing their shapes. The two golden dragons had been changed into statues of the sorceress. Most of the gazebos that made up the stands were burning or piles of rubble. The stairs that sat between the arena and the Hall of Warriors were littered with craters. Shifu hid fully behind the rock and took a breath. Junjie and the others were most likely heading up to their places via Junjie's secret entrance. Shifu could only imagine everyone's reactions.

He looked back at Mei, who seemed quite satisfied with her work. _Now or never._ He told himself. He darted from the rock to the wall, flattening himself against it. Somehow, the doors to the palace were still intact, despite the top being blown off the gate. He scaled the wall and jumped down just as Mei was about to walk through the doors. He aimed a kick for her stomach, but she did a back flip and landed a good hundred feet away. Shifu slammed the doors shut and turned to face the sorceress.

"If you want to get down there, you'll have to go through me." He growled.

Mei looked amused. "You're either very brave or extremely stupid. Most likely the latter."

"You have ten seconds to surrender." Shifu warned. "Or so help me, I will literally drop kick you off this mountain."

"You make me laugh." Mei chuckled. "You are forgetting that I'm a sorceress that can turn you into a fly and then squish you. Now I'm going to give you two choices, because I'm feeling strangely merciful. You can stay there in my way, which will force me to turn you into a mouse and then eat you. Or, you can do the smart thing: bow to your new master, stand aside, and let me take what's mine."

Shifu took a strong fighting stance, glaring daggers. No matter what happened between now and the end of the battle, he would fight to protect his home. Or die trying.

Mei huffed; as though she were trying to sound annoyed but looked pleased. "Well _this _is going to be fun." She took her own stance, twirling Oogway's staff. "Let's see how well your master has taught you. Last one standing gets the staff and the loser dies." She charged.

Shifu jumped away as Mei launched a blast of energy, using the blast's force to gain more air and land on the roof of a gazebo. Mei shot lightning towards him, but he ran across the rooftops, narrowly avoiding the strikes. That's when Shifu realized his first mistake: by jumping away, Mei now had the advantage of launching spells towards him. He wouldn't be able to land a hit unless he could throw something at her or get in close enough to attack. On the other hand, dodging Mei's attacks would distract the lioness long enough for Junjie to free the others.

Shifu skidded to a halt as one of Mei's attacks blasted the spot he was about to step in. He turned to the lioness as she readied another blast. His eyes darted for an escape route before jumping into a hole in the roof just as the blast hit. Mei launched fire towards the wood, setting the area around the Grandmaster ablaze. Shifu jumped back as the flames surrounded him. He looked for an exit, but not a single one could be found except the hole he had just jumped through. With the fire getting closer to him, Shifu crouched low to the ground and jumped. He managed to grab the edge of the hole as another blast of fire hit the ground below him. He tried to pull himself up, but Mei suddenly appeared, stomping her foot dangerously close to his fingers. Shifu glared as Mei spun Oogway's staff and aimed the non-curved end towards his head.

A screech rang through the air as a force slammed into Mei. The two beings went tumbling down to the ground. Shifu's eyes widened as Junjie appeared.

"I thought you were freeing the others." Shifu said as the fox pulled him up.

"Change of plans." Junjie smirked. Shifu looked over and saw Fenghuang fighting Mei.

"If you're here, who's taking care of Fang and rescuing the others?" Shifu asked.

"Siren's taking care of it." Junjie assured. "Now come on. Let's show this crazy cat lady why you don't mess with a Tri-Dragon of Death."

Shifu couldn't help but smirk at his friend's enthusiasm. "Alright. Let's go." They jumped off the roof and charged into battle.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Wolf forced himself to not look down as he scaled the mountain. "Remind me why we listened to the crazy fox?"

"Because he's a genius." Siren called from the top of the chain. "A mad genius."

"Emphasis on the 'mad' part." Croc muttered. Tigress rolled her eyes as she, Siren, Croc, Ox, and Wolf climbed the mountain that the palace rested on, aiming for the Hall of Warriors. Ling and Lily had snuck in already, but the lack of battle sounds told the others that their rescue wasn't quite going as planned.

Siren finally reached the edge of the mountain and peered into the Hall. Fang and Dúyé were nowhere in sight, but the rest of their minions were there. Siren slid down a little to be within hearing distance of the rest of the group.

"Alright, the pythons are probably guarding the dungeon, that's why the twins can't get to the others." Siren whispered. "We've got four guys in there and five of us."

"It'll take two of us to take out the elephant." Ox whispered. "Maybe more. I knew that owl and fox shouldn't have left us. We should've stuck with the plan."

"I trust Junjie." Siren said.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Siren has a point." Tigress reluctantly agreed. "I don't trust myself to leave Shifu alone with Mei."

"So what's the plan?" Croc asked.

"Wolf, go find the twins and see if they need help." Siren said. "The rest of you, choose an opponent and take them out. I'll take care of the elephant."

"Are you sure?" Tigress asked. "Your bending powers are gone except for air."

"It's all I need." Siren assured. "Let's go." The rest of the group nodded and followed the raven/human hybrid up. Wolf slunk into the shadows and waited.

Siren, Tigress, Ox, and Croc walked casually up to the dhole, black bear, porcupine, and elephant, who were arguing over who was third in command behind Dúyé.

"Hey losers." Siren said in a sassy tone. "I believe you're trespassing on Jade Palace property."

"You can either leave or we'll have to kick you out." Tigress warned, cracking her knuckles.

The four delinquents that stood before them exchanged glances before taking fighting stances.

"Bring it on." The black bear growled.

"You guys know what to do." Siren said. They ran forward to take on their respective opponents.

Tigress ran straight for the dhole, snarling. The dog growled as the tiger collided with him. He brandished a knife as they fought, slicing and stabbing as he aimed to kill. Tigress expertly avoided the strikes and managed to get a few hits in on her adversary. The dhole only got angrier and, in turn, his moves became sloppier. He made the mistake of throwing his knife towards Tigress, who easily grabbed it and tossed it out of reach. The dhole aimed a punch, but Tigress blocked and kicked him away. He came running back for more two seconds later.

Ox tackled the black bear, attempting to lift the beast with his horns. Unfortunately, the bear was too big, and Ox only succeeded in knocking the bear to the ground. The bear growled and charged for Ox. Having not as much kung fu training, the bear resorted to tackling Ox, snapping his jaws as though he were going to take a chunk out of the warrior. Ox gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep the large bear off of him. He kicked the bear away and resumed his attacks, putting all his strength in every blow. Somehow, he managed to land a firm punch to the bear's jaw, sending the bear reeling backwards. Ox landed a kick to the bear's head, nearly knocking him out cold. But the bear rose once more and ran back into battle.

Croc's always impenetrable hide came in handy with the quill-throwing porcupine. All he had to do was block the quills as they kept flying. The porcupine didn't have much fighting ability kung fu-wise, but when he realized that his quills were having no effect, he moved in with a sword in hand. Croc smirked and swung his mace ended tail towards the creature. The metal ball connected with his sword and sent it flying into a pillar. Croc aimed a couple punches and blocks before he was able to swing his tail around and send the porcupine flying after his sword. The porcupine hissed, pulled his sword free, and charged into battle once more.

Siren jumped up, using her wings to gain extra air, and aimed a kick for the back of the elephant's neck. The larger animal swung his trunk around and sent the hybrid crashing to the floor. Siren was quick to get back on her feet and charge into battle, sending a blast of winds from her palms to throw the elephant off. Once off-balance, Siren leaped up and planted a strong kick to his stomach, successfully knocking him to the ground. But it wasn't enough; the elephant was back on his feet in seconds and grabbing Siren by the waist. He threw her aside once more; once again, Siren failed to use her wings in time to stop the fall. She shook her head to rid the dizziness and jumped forward into the fight. _Wolf, you better get your tail back here fast._


	32. Ch 32 It Ends Here

_Notice the new cover image? Image manager rocks! I'm not the best artist when using the Paint program on my computer, but I hope you enjoy the pic and the chapter!_

**Chapter Thirty Two- It Ends Here**

During the battle, Wolf had darted across the hall to where Siren said the dungeons were. He stealthily made his way down the hall, searching for the right door and looking out for two overgrown snakes. He must've opened and closed about a dozen wrong doors before he skidded to a halt and ran back behind a corner. Peering out, he saw the two pythons Siren had described. The larger one had Lily and Ling wrapped in his coils. The smaller one had his fangs dropped and ready to strike.

"Let me take a chunk outta them!" Dúyé pleaded. "Come on!"

"Would you be still?" Fang snapped. "Our orders are to keep them alive."

"Our orders were to keep the others alive!" Dúyé hissed, gesturing to the door they were in front of. "These two are trespassers! And I haven't sunk my fangs in flesh in almost a month! Let me bite the feisty one!"

"Touch me and you die." Ling growled.

Wolf suddenly felt a presence beside him and turned. He noticed a tree snake beside him.

"What are you doing here?" Viper hissed. "We have enough problems without you here so—"

"Shh!" Wolf whispered. "Don't worry; I'm on your side. I can explain later, we have to free your friends."

Viper looked around the corner and saw the panther twins. "Leave it to me." She slithered out to the pythons. "Dúyé, Fang, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, my little sweetheart." Dúyé said sweetly. "Just taking care of some pests."

"Those aren't pests." Viper said. "That's Lily and Ling, the palace night guardians."

"So?" Fang droned.

"So, they can be useful." Viper said. "They can be…..personal body guards for your mistress."

Fang and Dúyé shared a look before shrugging (sort of). "Sounds good to me." Fang said.

"But I wanna bite them later!" Dúyé snapped. Fang waved him off and tossed the panther twins into the cell. Dúyé slithered over to Viper, smiling and nuzzling her chin. Viper looked ready to vomit.

"So, my little bundle of poison, have you thought more about my offer?" Dúyé hissed pleasantly.

"You mean the whole marriage thing?" Viper clarified, swallowing back a bit of bile in her mouth. "Oh, I've thought about it."

"And….?" Dúyé asked, smiling craftily.

"Honestly, little brother." Fang groaned. "Someone's going to have to knock some sense into you one of these days."

Suddenly, Wolf appeared behind them, grabbed their skulls, and knocked the snakes' heads together. The reptiles slumped to the floor.

"You're welcome." Wolf chuckled. He found the keys and quickly unlocked the door. Viper managed to stop everyone from attacking Wolf and urged them to get upstairs. The group stampeded to the hall, Chao in the lead. He was the first to spot Siren fighting a losing battle with the elephant and rushed to help her. Ren and Anuli were right behind him as the others split off to help Ox, Croc, and Tigress. In a matter of seconds, their enemies were on the ground.

"Shifu, Junjie, and Fenghuang are fighting Mei." Siren announced as she made her way to the doors. "We have to help them."

"It's three against one." Po noted. "I bet they're wiping the floor with her face!"

BOOM!

Everyone jumped and turned to the mushroom cloud that had erupted from the arena.

"Or not." Monkey whimpered.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Shifu coughed from the smoke. "Was the Mongolian Fireball really necessary?"

"I thought it would work!" Fenghuang shrugged as she dodged another blast.

Junjie shouted as he crash-landed beside Shifu. "We need a new plan. She'll never hold still long enough for us to perform a technique."

"If we can immobilize her, we can get the staff." Shifu said. They ducked as Fenghuang flew over their heads. "I have an idea."

Mei scanned her surroundings, searching for anything that remained of her pathetic opponents.

"Hey! Crazy cat lady!"

Mei whipped around and saw Junjie standing on top of a partially destroyed gazebo. She fired a bolt of lightning, but he only ducked and the electricity went over his head.

"You call that shooting?" Junjie taunted. "You shoot like a cross-eyed armadillo!"

Mei snarled and shot again, only to miss once more.

"'A cross-eyed armadillo'?" Fenghuang groaned. "Really?"

"You learn to live with it." Shifu sighed. "Let's go." He and the owl crept around to the twin statues on the platform and looked out, waiting for the right moment.

Junjie darted from one side of the arena to the other, practically flew across rooftops, and zigzagged in front of Mei, her blasts missing him by inches. Despite the urge to run for his life and the fear of being blown to dust, Junjie managed to keep a smirk on his face and even stuck his tongue out at the lioness. Every time Mei missed, she became angrier and angrier until she accidently sliced the head off of one of her statues.

Fenghuang darted from behind the decapitated statue when Mei had her back turned, aiming her talons for the cat's neck.

"Fenghuang, no!" Shifu hissed.

Too late.

Fenghuang's talons came an inch from Mei's back when she spun around and grabbed the owl by the neck. She twisted back and threw Fenghuang into Junjie, sending the pair tumbling and rolling across the ground. Mei leaped into the air and landed hard on the ground a foot away from them. She raised a clawed hand and the rocks morphed and changed and glued the pair to the ground. Mei aimed Oogway's staff at them, her eyes glowing with murderous thoughts.

"You really don't know when to quit, do you?" she sneered.

"Nope." Junjie shook his head. "Because a real warrior never quits."

Mei scoffed. "Didn't do you much good, did it?"

Shifu made his move. He swiftly but silently sprinted from the statue and leaped for Mei. He slammed into her back and they went tumbling. Shifu ended up on top of Mei, pinning her to the ground and knocking aside the staff. Junjie and Fenghuang were freed and they jumped to their feet.

"Nice tackle." Junjie mused.

"Just help me." Shifu snapped as Mei struggled to stand. Suddenly, vines sprang from the ground and started wrapping around Mei. Shifu jumped off just as the vines encased the lioness in a large cocoon. Shifu, Junjie, and Fenghuang turned and saw Dong, smirking at his handiwork. Everyone else was with him.

"And here I thought you needed help." Siren laughed.

Shifu smirked. He turned as Junjie came up to him, Oogway's staff in his paws. "This is yours, I believe?"

Shifu smiled and took the ancient peach wood from the fox. "Thanks."

There was a pause; tension hung in the silent air.

"This seems too easy." Anuli noted.

"It was one thing to take out Fang and his followers." Aurora nodded. "That was easy. But Mei is very powerful."

"Are you _trying _to jinx us?" Po whined.

"All I'm saying is that I don't think it's over." Aurora said.

_CRACK!_

Everyone tensed up and slowly turned to the cocoon that held Mei. The case was steaming and cracks were forming.

"Watch out!" Dong shouted. Everyone jumped back a few feet as the cocoon burst. The warriors prepared themselves for a fight, but they were soon petrified with shock (and a little fear) when Mei emerged from the cocoon, somewhat changed.

The word "somewhat" being used loosely.

Mei was as high as a two story building. She stayed on all fours, her fur black as night and her claws covered in dried blood that came from who knows where. Her eyes glowed blood red and she had grown a pair of fangs, like a saber toothed tiger. Her teeth were stark white, almost glittering in the sun. They would've looked beautiful if Mei wasn't snarling at her prey.

"That's not good." Mantis whimpered.

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Tigress droned sarcastically.

Mei roared; a sound so loud and high pitched that everyone had to cover their ears to prevent their eardrums from bursting. Her eyes glowed brighter, if that was even possible, and warriors made of shadows materialized around her feet. Everywhere Shifu looked, there were black warriors holding weapons ready to murder them.

"That was unexpected." Ren chuckled nervously.

"What exactly is the plan here?" Crane asked.

"It's simple, really." Anuli said. She summoned fire in her palms and spun it around her. A circle of flames formed around the group and shot out towards the shadows. About twenty of the shadows burst into dust.

"Any questions?" Chao smirked.

"Take care of the shadows." Dong instructed. "I'll take care of Mei."

"Are you insane?" Siren snapped.

"You forget who I am." Dong smiled. He rushed forward and jumped off the platform. In mid-leap, his body morphed and changed. Reddish-brown feathers covered his body. His legs became yellow and scaly, talons sprouting from his toes. His arms turned to powerful wings. A hooked beak replaced his nose and mouth.

"I think he's overdoing it with the birds." Anuli laughed.

Dong, now in giant hawk form, screeched as he attacked Mei. The huge lioness reared up on her hind legs, snarling and swiping her claws.

"Let's go!" Fenghuang snapped. She leaped into battle, swiping her sword-like feathers. The others followed suit. As the warriors fought with the shadows, a single thought coursed through their minds.

_It ends here. _


	33. Ch 33 He Who Falls Shall Fall Hard

_Warning: This chapter contains intense blood, violence, and character deaths! You have been warned._

**Chapter Thirty Three- He Who Falls Shall Fall Hard**

"Heads up!" Anuli snapped at Po. The panda ducked as an axe nearly decapitated him.

"Thanks!" Po smiled at the fox girl. He put a shadow in a headlock and slammed a fist into the shadow's skull. "Who are you again?"

"Anuli." The fox/human hybrid introduced. She blasted a shadow to dust with a flaming fist. "I'll explain more later; we've got some idiots to pummel into glue."

Po laughed as the girl cart wheeled off to fight more shadows. He turned to a new set of opponents and jumped into battle. However, he didn't notice a shadow sneaking up behind him with a sword.

"Po, watch out!" Viper cried.

Po turned just as the sword was about to come down on him. He somehow was able to catch the shadow's hand as the blade came down. He struggled to keep the blade from turning his face into a pincushion. But the shadow was bulky and strong, and the blade kept coming closer and closer until Po was nearly cross-eyed as he stared at the sword's point. Suddenly, there was the sickening sound of a sword slicing through flesh, and the shadow tensed. After a pause, the shadow's head slipped off its neck and hit the ground. The head and body dissolved and revealed Shen standing there.

Po narrowed his eyes a little, but when Shen offered a wing to help the panda up, he took it.

"Thanks for that." Po said.

"Just try not to get killed." Shen nodded. He spun his sword behind him to block another shadow before jumping away to fight. Po smirked and started fighting once more.

Chao grabbed his daughter's arm and pulled her away before Mei's giant paw could crush her.

"I officially hate that cat." Siren snapped.

"Just stay on your toes." Chao instructed. "Duck!" They crouched as a hammer whooshed over their heads. Siren jumped and kicked the wielder aside.

"We can't keep this up forever." Siren said as she punched a shadow's jaw. "No matter how many we beat back, more just take their place."

"Just stay strong." Chao instructed.

"Staying strong won't make this end faster." Siren growled a little. She pushed her father aside as a hammer made a crater where he stood not two seconds ago. "I have an idea." She said.

"What's that?" Chao asked. Siren didn't really answer; she simply ran towards Mei and jumped up, grabbing Mei's leg and using her fur to climb up to the lion's back. "Get down from there!"

"Can't hear you!" Siren called over her shoulder. Chao rolled his eyes and started climbing after her. Once they got to the top, they had to grip Mei's fur tightly to avoid being thrown off.

"What exactly is your plan?" Chao demanded.

"Improvising." Siren laughed. She jumped up to Mei's head and stabbed her talon-like fingernails into the lioness's head. Mei snarled and raised a paw to swipe Siren off. Siren was caught off guard and a giant paw knocked her backwards. Chao jumped and caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Don't do that again." Chao ordered.

Mei suddenly went to her hind legs and reared up, successfully knocking Chao and Siren to the ground. She spun around and raised a paw to crush them, but Dong grabbed the lioness in his talons. The sorcerer-gone-hawk lifted Mei into the air and threw her up to the Sacred Hall of Warriors. Mei stood up on the roof and roared. Dong flew up after her.

"We have to help him." Siren urged.

"What are we supposed to do?" Chao demanded.

Ren and Aurora suddenly crashed next to them.

"Aurora, do you know anything about Mei's weaknesses?" Siren asked hurriedly. "Anything that'll help us beat her?"

"No." Aurora shook her head. "It's up to Dong. We can't beat Mei when she's so large and we're so small."

"Tell that to him." Ren pointed at the stairs that led to the Hall of Warriors. A white and brown figure, carrying a staff much taller than him, was sprinting up the steps. A certain panda and fox/human hybrid were trailing after him.

"Idiots." Aurora muttered. "Come on!" She started running towards the hall, Ren, Siren, and Chao following. They fought their way through the crowd of shadows and fellow warriors before reaching the hall. The building itself was still intact, even with the giant lioness and hawk fighting on top of it. The inside, however, was completely trashed. Shifu, Po, and Anuli were already at the top, staring at the epic battle above them.

"Great, we're all up here." Ren said. "Now what?"

"Ask Shifu, he came up first." Anuli said. Everyone looked towards said master, but he looked just as lost.

"Shifu?" Aurora tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder. "What is it?"

Shifu looked down at Oogway's staff. "Mei could use this staff to strengthen her magic. Why can't we?"

"Because only a sorcerer or a sorceress can." Aurora explained.

Shifu almost hit himself in the head. "Then what do we do?"

No one answered. With their allies being slowly beaten by the shadows and the warring beings above them still fighting it out, the odds seemed against them. Anuli suddenly frowned in determination. She ran to one of the pillars that supported the roof and scaled it as fast as possible, ignoring the others shouting for her to come back. She got to the top and glared at Mei, her tail fur bristling in silent fury. Anuli created a ball of fire in her palms and forced it to grow until it was thrice the size of her head. She launched it towards Mei, hitting the lioness in the face. Mei roared in pain, distracting her long enough for Dong to slash his talons across her back and face. Anuli kept up with her attacks, jumping around to avoid the holes in the roof and Mei's paws.

Po jumped as a flaming chunk of wood fell a few feet from him. "How do we know which side's winning?"

"Hard to say." Aurora said. "Mei's pretty strong, but Anuli's distractions should give Dong the upper hand."

"We have to help her." Siren said, moving towards the pillars.

Ren held her daughter back. "No, it's risky enough with Anuli up there; we can't take the gamble that someone else might get hurt."

"We can't just leave her up there alone." Shifu said.

"We have to trust her." Aurora assured. "I'm sure she'll be fine and Dong will beat Mei into the ground."

Siren wanted to protest, but she couldn't bring the words out. She stared at the roof, where the hawk and lioness battled it out. Blasts of fire could be seen, indicating Anuli's attacks. Something caught Siren's eye and she would've run up to the roof had Po and Ren not stopped her.

"Dad!" She screamed.

Chao disappeared over the edge and went running for Mei. He stealthily made his way up to the lioness's head and landed on her muzzle. Mei froze, glaring at the lizard. She raised a paw to swipe him away, but Chao moved first. He jumped forward and planted his foot in one of Mei's eyes. Mei reared up, almost screaming in pain and tossing Chao off of her. Anuli ran to the edge of the roof and grabbed Chao's hand. She clung to his arm as the lizard master hung precariously off the edge of the roof. Chao didn't dare look down in fear of getting sick as Anuli pulled him up.

Dong moved in for the final attack. With Mei reared up on her hind legs. Dong lunged and grabbed her paws in his talons. He flew up a few feet and pushed Mei off the roof. The lioness roared as she fell off the mountain and out of sight in the trees. The hawk landed softly on the roof and screeched in triumph. Dong smiled as he transformed to his human form, his robes melting back onto his body. Anuli laughed and whooped and almost took Dong to the ground in a bear hug. Chao smiled and rolled his eyes, calmly walking up to the sorcerer.

"Well done." Chao nodded. "That was quite impressive."

Dong laughed. "You'd be amazed at what I can do." He, Anuli, and Chao walked to the edge of the roof and jumped down to join the others. Siren ran up to hug her friend and father, almost hitting them for running off. Ren hugged her own father, muttering something about not wanting to lose him. Dong smiled and returned the embrace.

"Something's not right." Aurora suddenly said. Everyone stared at the red panda woman.

"What do you mean?" Shifu asked.

"Shouldn't those shadows be gone if Mei's dead?" Aurora asked. Everyone looked down and saw the shadows were indeed still there.

"They should've burst into dust or something." Dong confirmed.

"Unless…" Po never finished his sentence.

_WHOOSH!_

Everyone jumped as a rush of air blew past them. They stared as Mei, now in her normal lioness form, gently floated down to the stairs in front of the group. She looked utterly furious.

"Miss me?" she taunted. "Did you _really_ think I was to be beaten that easily?" She raised a paw. Suddenly, everyone was blown backwards into the destroyed Hall of Warriors. Mei launched herself forward, not even touching the ground, and slammed a foot on Aurora's stomach before she could rise.

"Some sorceress you turned out to be." Mei sneered. "Blinded by love and that pathetic rat that stole your heart. Keeping you apart was the only way to open your eyes to your mistakes."

"What would you know about that?" Aurora growled, her ears flat on her skull. "I never even told—" She stopped in realization. "The letters…"

"He never did stop writing." Mei nodded. "Those scrolls did become very good paperweights."

It was then that Aurora remembered: all letters that went in and out of the academy had to get approval through Mei first.

"I can give you one last chance." Mei said. "Join me; become my apprentice again. I can give you back your powers and we will rule this world forever."

While Mei was talking, Aurora had managed to discretely pick up a piece of marble. She threw it at Mei, but the marble chunk stopped inches from the lioness's face before falling harmlessly to the ground.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Mei scoffed. "Pity." A ball of fire formed in her paw and she pulled it back to launch it.

A streak of white hit Mei's head and pulled her backwards by an ear. The fire ball shot up and hit the roof. Mei jumped to her feet and turned to face her attacker, hissing. Shifu stood before her, twirling Oogway's staff expertly.

"Don't touch her." he growled.

Mei scoffed. "How many times do I have to try and kill you before you actually die?"

"Couldn't answer that even if I wanted to." Shifu smirked. He leaped for the lioness, but found himself stopping in mid-air, inches from Mei's head. Then, he was flying through the air and hitting a pile of wood, marble, and jade. Aurora ran over to him as the Grandmaster struggled to stand, a small cut on his forehead from the impact. Mei leaped into the air and landed a good ten feet in front of the pair. She raised her paws as they became enveloped in a black aura.

"And so my reign begins with the spilling of your blood." Mei smirked.

"And it will end in chaos." Shifu assured firmly.

All around Mei, the weapons that resided in the Hall of Warriors floated in the air and stopped in front of her. The sharp points aimed straight for Shifu and Aurora, ready to impale them. Their allies were either unconscious or too weak to run over and help them. Shifu pulled Aurora into his arms as they braced themselves for the blades. They shut their eyes.

There was a sickening sound of a blade penetrating flesh, only repeated many times. Neither Shifu nor Aurora felt the pain of the steel or the warm blood on their skin. Shifu tentatively opened his eyes and looked up. His eyes widened at the sight before him. When Aurora looked, she almost screamed; but because she was in shock, all she could mutter was a strangled gasp.

Dong gasped, finding it hard to breathe properly; not surprisingly, considering the blades that hit his lungs. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Aurora inadvertently shoved Shifu aside as she came to Dong's side.

"No…."Aurora kept murmuring under her breath. "No…please….."

Dong's glazed eyes locked with Aurora's. He took her hand in his and forced a smile. Shifu joined Aurora's side and stared at the wounded sorcerer. Swords, throwing stars, and various other sharp objects were stuck in Dong's chest, stomach, legs, and arms. The front of his navy blue robes were soaked in blood, turning them dark purple; a beautiful color from a sickly combination. His breathing was ragged and shallow. His eyes were glazed over.

Mei's cruel laugh rang through the air. "He who falls shall fall hard." She laughed. "Now, hold very, very still and this won't hurt a bit." She took a hold of the Golden Spear stuck in Dong's leg and jerked it free. Dong took a quick intake of breath through clenched teeth. Shifu could see Mei's hand smoking from the Golden Spear's touch, but the lioness didn't seem to notice. She poised the spear ready to kill them.

"Hey!"

Mei turned as Po punched her in the jaw, sending the sorceress reeling backwards. Po moved in once more, Chao right behind him, sending an onslaught of attacks against Mei, who was too caught off-guard to do anything but dodge the onslaught.

Ren, Siren, and Anuli rushed over to where Dong lay. Ren took her father's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"You're going to be alright." Ren breathed. "Just stay still." She looked to Anuli. "Do something, please!"

Anuli stared at Dong's wounds and tightened her jaw. She slowly shook her head. "The wounds are too deep. He'll bleed out before I can help him." She didn't mention the throwing star embedded deep in Dong's chest, where he heart was.

"Ren….."

Everyone looked towards Dong as the sorcerer gazed at his beloved daughter.

Dong smiled softly. "My dear, you've grown so beautiful. You've got your mother's gorgeous eyes and her wonderful black hair."

Ren forced a laugh. "My mother was a raven. Being of her offspring, I would look just like her."

Dong nodded painfully. "I suppose. As such, your daughter would look just like you." At this, he averted his gaze to Siren. "But there is one thing different."

"What's that?" Siren asked softly.

"Your eyes." Dong said, raising a shaky hand to point at his own eyes. "You have a blue tinge to your eyes that stands out against the green. No doubt inherited from your father."

Siren touched her cheek, under her eyes. "I don't think I ever knew that."

"You do now." Dong chuckled. He coughed harshly, a little blood leaking from his mouth. "I'm so proud of my little girls. You've done so well." He sighed. "I wish I had more time." He looked towards Aurora. "It's up to you now. Fight fire with fire; by fire, of course I mean magic. That's the only way to beat her." Dong held up a palm, and a glowing blue orb appeared in his hand, radiating with such power that everyone around him had the urge to move away. "Take it. Beat that crazy cat lady five miles under the earth."

Aurora stared at the orb in Dong's hand for a moment before shaking her head. "No….no I can't! I can't face Mei on my own. Use your magic to heal yourself; I know you can do it."

"No." Dong shook his head small. "My time has come, and my apprentice must take over. I've taught you all that I know; now show me why I made you my apprentice."

"I won't let you die." Aurora said firmly.

Dong sighed. "Good luck." He suddenly pulled Aurora in close and pushed the blue orb into her chest. The orb disappeared and a blue aura spread across Aurora's body. She took a breath as newfound and strong magic course through her entire being. For a brief moment, her golden brown eyes glowed white. When everything died down, Aurora found herself panting a little. She stared down at Dong, who had gone completely still.

"Father?" Ren breathed. "No…." She shook as she held onto Dong's limp hand. "No!" She fell on top of Dong's bloody chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Siren, fighting to break down herself, only reached out to place a hand on her mother's shoulder. But even she couldn't help but let loose a few tears for the grandfather she never knew, but always wanted. Aurora stared at her master before squeezing her eyes shut. Shifu wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. Anuli, sitting up by Dong's head, gently closed the sorcerer's lifeless eyes.

The sound of battle reached Shifu's ears. He looked up and saw Mei still trying to shake off Po and Chao. Apparently, the fierceness of Po and Chao's attacks were a bit too much for Mei, as she was fighting just to keep them off of her. Aurora looked up and noticed the battle as well. Mei was steadily gaining strength, slowly beating back her attackers. Shifu noticed the fury that had set in Aurora's eyes. Inwardly, it scared him.

"Aura?" Shifu asked softly.

Aurora looked towards Shifu and gently pushed him away as she stood. Her body suddenly started to shift and change until she was a panther once more.

"What is with you and cats?" Anuli joked in a low voice.

Aurora only smirked. But the smile was brief when she saw Po and Chao thrown across the room. She growled and went down on all fours. The fire in her eyes was enough to make everyone take a step back.

"Aura?" Shifu asked again.

Aurora didn't look at him. She only continued to stare at Mei as the lioness went stalking towards Chao and Po, still recovering from the last attack.

"Now I'm pissed." Aurora growled.

_A/N: If you guys are willing to look, I've added cover art to _Siren's Gem_ and I might work on _Friends and Family_ cover art. I'm really excited! _XD


	34. Ch 34 The Demons Return

_One more warning: more violence and a slightly disturbing image._

**Chapter Thirty Four- The Demons Return**

Aurora lunged for Mei with a roar.

Shifu, on his part, had never heard Aurora use such language, and he was a little shocked. But he shook it off in time to jump away as a stray lightning bolt hit the spot he was just in. Ren, Siren, and Anuli gently lifted Dong in their arms and moved him into Shifu's room, where he would be safe.

"What's the plan?" Anuli asked as she laid Dong on the ground. "Hide out in here until Aurora kicks Mei's tail?"

"There's no guarantee that'll happen." Shifu said.

"Wow, you've got a lot of faith in your girlfriend, huh?" Siren scoffed.

"Anything can happen." Shifu insisted. He glanced around the corner, but only saw spells being cast; the sorceresses couldn't be seen. "Mei and Aura are probably evenly matched. Who knows how long they can drag the battle out?"

"Those shadows in the courtyard will stick around as long as Mei's up and running." Ren noted.

Chao and Po suddenly came running around the corner, dodging flying debris.

"What's the plan here?" Po asked desperately.

"How's Aurora doing?" Anuli asked.

"Pretty well." Chao nodded. "But Mei won't back down anytime soon."

"We have to give Aurora an extra advantage." Siren said.

"How?" Po asked desperately. "Unless any of us know magic, in which case I'm all ears."

Anuli and Siren shared a look. Wordlessly, they came to an understanding; it was risky, yes, but it would end this all sooner.

Chao noticed the girls' looks. "Oh no, I know what you're thinking and there's no way I'm letting you do it."

"You got a better idea?" Anuli demanded. "This could be the one last chance we get."

"And what if you lose control?" Shifu asked. "What are we supposed to do then?"

"Improvise." Anuli said simply. "All of you go back to help the others fight the shadows. We'll help Aurora beat Mei." Without waiting for an answer, Anuli rushed out of the room. Everyone looked towards Siren, who was still and silent. The raven/human hybrid was trying to be subtle as she wrung her hands nervously.

"Siren?" Ren gently took her daughter's hands in her own. "Sweetheart, you can do this."

Siren looked up at her mother. "What if I lose control and I hurt someone?"

"You won't lose control." Ren assured. "You will go out there and you will be amazing."

"You're saying that to make me feel better." Siren said bitterly. "Just let Anuli fight; she can help without me."

Anuli came rounding around the corner. Her fox ears were flat and she was frowning. "I'm not going without you. Now get off your butt and come help me."

Siren looked between Anuli and the others. The sounds of an intense battle resonated in her ears. Finally, she scooted backwards, folded her legs, and lowered her eyes to avoid seeing the disappointment.

"Fine." Anuli said softly. She turned and ran off. As she got closer to the battle, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. In Anuli's mind flashed memories. Memories of people she loved: her parents, long since dead but never forgotten…..Junjie, her new father that would always care for her…..Siren, the sister she always wanted…Ren, pretty much an aunt to Anuli….Dong, who was always a good friend.

Anuli noticed orange fur growing all over her. Her fox tail flicked, fire erupting from the end. She dropped down on all fours and charged for the Hall of Warriors. A roar flew past her sharp teeth, echoing in the hall.

The roar distracted Mei and she whipped around to stare at the fox demon. Mei noticed the demon's deep brown eyes, indicating that Anuli was still in control. She didn't notice Aurora closing in fast until the panther hit Mei with such force that the two cats went tumbling. Mei kicked Aurora off of her and moved to swipe her claws, but a blast of fire from Anuli's maw sent Mei diving for cover. Aurora landed softly next to the fox demon and smirked. Anuli smiled proudly. Together, they rushed in to fight. But they skidded to a halt when Mei changed again, turning back into her black saber toothed lion form. But this time, she was smaller, about the same size of Anuli in her fox demon form. The two beasts, each the size of a Clydesdale, rushed towards each other and met head-on, snapping their jaws and scratching each other.

Aurora stood back a little, not sure what to do. Launching a spell would run the risk of hitting Anuli; changing into a beast-like cat and charging in would only create more chaos. So Aurora stayed back, running through spells in her head that would subdue Mei for good. One stood out in her mind, but if it went wrong, the results would be disastrous.

No surprise there.

Of course, there was an even trickier part. If Anuli got caught in the spell for whatever reason, then….well, who knows what'll happen. Aurora bit her bottom lip. _If only we could get her to stand still for just a few minutes. _She jumped as Anuli crashed next to her.

"Anuli." Aurora whispered. "We need her to stand still." The fox demon gave the sorceress a look that said, "Are you kidding me?" "I know; we just need to figure it out." Anuli rolled her eyes and jumped to battle the wild lioness once more. As the two beasts continued their brawl, Aurora thought hard about how they were going to get Mei still, if that was even possible. Then, Aurora realized how much of the roof and pillars was destroyed and the debris lying around her. She got to work quickly, telekinetically lifting the debris and moving it. When Anuli was far enough away, Aurora sent broken pieces of the jade pillars hurdling towards Mei. The marble and jade melted and caught the lioness's paws. The liquid marble hardened to stone again, gluing Mei's paws to the ground. Anuli jumped in front of Mei and prepared to strike, waiting for Aurora's command or Mei's wrong move.

Aurora took a breath and began to chant softly in a strange language Anuli couldn't place. Strange looking glyphs and characters floated from Aurora and descended around Mei. The feral lioness snarled as the characters glowed and swirled around her like a tornado. Mei went from her black saber toothed form to her normal form as the characters spun faster.

Everything seemed to be going fine until one of the casings around Mei's hand burst. Mei pulled up her still smoking paw and launched an energy blast towards Anuli, knocking her backwards and into one of the few still standing pillars. Then Mei used her free hand to control the waters from the Moon Pool, sending a tidal wave towards Aurora. The panther sorceress was too distracted by the spell to move.

Then, Aurora went sprawling across the floor as the tidal wave crashed harmlessly behind her. She shook her head and shakily stood up. Anuli had charged into battle again, this time joined by another creature. This one was a raven demon with bright green eyes.

Siren made huge gusts of wind with her wings, screeching with fury. Anuli blew fire, almost burning Mei to a crisp. The lioness had to use all her magic just to deflect the attacks.

Aurora then heard someone coughing and sputtering and turned to find Shifu a ways away from her. He was sopping wet and coughing up more water as he knelt on the ground. Aurora rushed over to his side.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." Shifu coughed. "Brought a little help."

"No kidding." Aurora breathed. Suddenly, she got an idea. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Go." Shifu assured. "Take her down."

Aurora smiled and kissed his cheek before running off. She quickly transformed into a mouse and ran up Siren's leg and up to her head. Hidden in the demon's feathers, she whispered something to the raven girl. Then Aurora ran to Anuli and did the same. She got a good distance away before transforming to her red panda form.

"Anuli! Siren!" Aurora ordered. "Now!"

The girls nodded. Siren started the process by blowing winds. The gusts swirled faster and faster until there was a tornado surrounding Mei. When Mei tried to break free, Anuli added fire to the tornado, forcing the lioness to use her magic to defend herself. Aurora began her chant once more, focusing all her energy into it. Shifu had to hold on to a heavy piece of marble to avoid being blown away. The characters Aurora summoned glowed and became a part of the fiery tornado, spinning faster and glowing brighter. Inside the inferno, Mei was shouting in frustration.

Finally, the glowing characters retreated from the swirling flames and floating back towards Aurora. The sorceress finished her chanting as the characters hit her fur and disappeared. Siren and Anuli stopped their attacks. The fire and winds died. Shifu got to his feet and stood next to Aurora. The red panda woman was staring into space. A soft golden glow hung around her like a halo. Then, the glow died, and Aurora focused once more.

"You alright?" Shifu asked.

Aurora stared at Shifu. "Yes." She nodded simply. In truth, she felt like falling over from exhaustion. But she somehow remained standing. Anuli and Siren, still in their demon forms walked over to stand with the red pandas. Shifu smiled and ruffled the feathers on Siren's head.

"Well done, kid." He laughed. Siren smiled, showing off her dagger teeth.

A snarl made everyone turn. Mei was struggling to stand. She tried to throw a spell towards them, but nothing happened.

"You….little wretch….." she seethed.

"Stand down Mei." Aurora ordered. "I have your magic now. You will not harm any more innocent people."

"You haven't beaten me yet!" Mei snarled. "I will gain my powers back! I will rule this world and the next! I will—"

Mei was cut off by the sight of her hand. It was wrinkled and bony, her claws overgrown. She looked down at herself and found her skin wrinkly and her fur dulled. She ran to the Moon Pool and looked at her reflection, only to see the grizzled face of an elderly lioness looking back. Mei screamed in horror, but it was far from over. She began to rapidly age to the point when her fur started falling out and her bones stuck out more. She screamed as her skin peeled off and disappeared; her eyeballs popped from their sockets and were gone in a puff of smoke. The skeleton of the lioness continued to scream until every bone turned to dust and blew away in the wind.

The two demons, sorceress, and Grandmaster that had been watching with horror were stunned silent.

"What just happened?" Shifu asked.

"Mei's magic made her eternally young." Aurora explained. "Without her magic, she became her true age."

"Yikes." Siren said.

Shifu jumped when he noticed the two human girls beside him. Anuli and Siren were back to their human forms, looking a bit roughed up but fine.

"I knew you could do it." Anuli smiled as she hugged Siren. "You were magnificent."

"You were better." Siren said. "You had the guts to get out there on the first try."

"Little encouragement doesn't hurt!" Po called from across the hall.

Ren ran to Siren and pulled her into a hug. "You did so well."

"Thanks Mom." Siren sighed. Then, her eyes widened. "The shadows!" Everyone ran to the doors and saw most of the shadows gone, but one large shadow beast still standing. They rushed down the steps, but Aurora was far ahead of them. She leaped high into the air and landed in front of the beast. The large shadow roared in Aurora face.

"Be careful!" Wolf called. "That thing will swallow you whole!"

Aurora had a no-nonsense look on her face. She simply reached out and touched the shadow beast. Instantly, a ripple of light spread across the shadow. Everyone jumped back as the beast exploded and disappeared. The entire group, minus Aurora, stared in shock.

"Well," Shen chuckled slightly. "_that _worked."


	35. Ch 35 Recovery

**Chapter Thirty Five- Recovery**

Nobody had the energy to really celebrate. In fact, they were all so tired they just sat on the ground. Everyone except Aurora. She had a solemn look on her face. Then, she started walking back up to the Hall of Warriors. As she did, the damages Mei caused started to repair themselves. The gazebos were returned to their formal glory; the statues of Mei morphed back to the dragon statues; the craters in the stairs filled up as Aurora passed them. Shifu followed Mei up to the hall, steering clear of the repairs. When they got to the hall, the jade pillars became whole again, the roof fixed itself, and all the water on the floor went back into the Moon Pool. Aurora paid Shifu no attention as she walked, trance-like, towards the room where Dong lay. She knelt down next to the sorcerer's still form, staring.

Shifu walked up behind Aurora and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel her trembling. He sighed and knelt next to her, putting an arm around Aurora. It was only after that action did Aurora finally break down and bury her face in Shifu's chest, crying softly. Shifu pulled her close, not really sure what he could do or say to make it better.

The warriors in the arena somehow found the strength to pick themselves up and move to the Hall of Warriors for the night. The Five and Po gathered as many pillows and blankets as they could find that were still intact, but they still fell short. Shen offered to go without the bedding and curled up in the corner to sleep. Siren did the same, staying close to Shen and wrapping her wings around herself like a feathery blanket. Shen gently stroked the girl's feathered head, softly humming a lullaby his mother had sung to him when he was a chick. Aurora and Shifu were still with Dong.

Ox glared towards Shen as the peacock continued stroking Siren lovingly. "Poor girl; doesn't even realize she's in love with a murderer."

"I think you've got the wrong idea." Wolf said.

"What makes you say that?" Ox demanded.

"Lord Shen, who created a deadly weapon and killed Thundering Rhino, was crushed to death by his own creation." Wolf explained. "_This _Shen—" he gestured towards said peacock. "—is completely different. Look at him. He helped save the Valley of Peace and our lives. He's even younger! I've known Shen my entire life and I know how he looks when he's only twenty."

"And that's supposed to excuse his crimes?" Ox huffed.

"He _was _defeated and then crushed to death." Croc noted. "And if the weapon didn't kill him, he would've drowned. If you ask me, that's a pretty sufficient punishment; his death was more painful that Master Thundering Rhino's."

"Not by a long shot." Ox said firmly. "I say that when we leave, we take Shen with us. He _will _face justice."

"He already has!" Wolf snapped. He looked around to see if anyone was looking, but everyone was asleep. He lowered his voice. "Shen has paid for his crimes and I'm sure he's done plenty more to help his cause. Shen is not who he once was. I bet you anything he's changed; ask him what he wants now and he'll say he just wants a second chance! Don't we all deserve that?"

"Not him." Ox said.

"Why is _he _the exception?" Croc demanded. "I'm with Wolf on this one. Shen _has _changed, and I'm sure if we just give him the chance he _will _prove it."

Ox wasn't convinced. "He'll never change. He's a monster." He lay down to sleep, officially ending the conversation. But it was far from over.

Junjie couldn't sleep, no matter what sleeping position he took. He glanced over at Anuli, who was sound asleep beside him. He had the urge to gently brush her hair away from her face, but something held him back. He thought back to his promise to Anuli: how he would be her father. Junjie never had children, never cared for a child. Maybe he had rushed the decision just a little bit. What did he know about raising a kid anyhow? Finally, realizing that sleep was not coming anytime soon, Junjie swiftly snuck from the others to get some fresh air. He walked to the edge of the steps, looking over the village and breathing in the cool night air. The skies were clear and the stars were bright. The full moon cast a soft, luminous glow.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Junjie's fur puffed up in surprise and he spun around. He breathed a sigh of relief and smoothed his fur when he saw Chao. "Must you scare me like that?" he demanded.

"Must you be so easily scared?" Chao taunted. "Usually you're out like a light at this time. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Junjie shrugged. Chao gave him a skeptical look. Junjie sighed. "You know what it's like to be a father. Is it hard?"

Chao chuckled. "It has its ups and downs." He nodded. "But Siren was a pretty calm child. She never lost her temper unless something _severely _ticked her off." He glanced towards the fox beside him. "Anuli is much like fire. She can be tranquil like candlelight, or raging like a wildfire. It's just about how you deal with the wildfire."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Junjie asked.

"Everyone has a paternal instinct." Chao assured. "Whether we know it or not. You have to trust that instinct."

"I just want to be a good father." Junjie sighed. "Look what happened to Tai Lung, or Shen; I don't want to make those same mistakes and cost Anuli a good future."

Chao laughed lightly, shaking his head a little. "You can't possibly believe that you'll make the same mistakes as other parents will. You have to relax; trust yourself. You have to also remember that Anuli is almost an adult. I think your main concern will be her boy interests."

"Gods, spare me that." Junjie laughed.

Chao laughed with him. Then, he got serious. "You'll be fine, I'm sure of it. You've had _your _ups and downs, what with being our friend, then our enemy, then our friend again." Junjie shrugged. "But you've proved to be a good friend. I know you'll be an even better father."

Junjie sighed. Then, he turned to the lizard master, punched his fist to his palm, and bowed. "Thank you."

Chao returned the gesture. "Of course, old friend."

The next morning, everyone opted for a picnic in the warm sunshine instead of crowding in a tiny kitchen. Po got to work quickly on breakfast. Ren, Siren, and Anuli were happy to help. During breakfast, there were plenty of discussions. Shifu talked with Chao about reconstructing the barracks, adding more rooms for the newest members of the Jade Palace family. Aurora and Ren began planning a funeral for Dong the next day. Siren and Tigress told everyone else the full story about the human world.

The next week was a recovery week. Ox, Croc, Wolf, Lily, and Ling stayed for the entire week, including Dong's funeral. Siren chose his burial spot: at the base of the mountain where she created her mother's supposed grave. Everyone had a hard time speaking because their voices kept cracking or they couldn't think of anything to say about a person they hardly knew. At the end of the funeral, Aurora used her magic to create a large oak tree over Dong's grave.

Chao and Shifu continued their designs for the barracks, still not repaired since the fire attack. Ren was returning to the Sacred Onyx Council with Chao. Anuli, Siren, and Shen were staying at the Jade Palace. Aurora was staying too, of course. Adding about five more guest rooms would allow more privacy for more guests. Shifu immediately started writing the order forms for some wood and rice paper, but he soon found himself tearing up the form; Aurora found the plans to the barracks and used her magic to construct it in under an hour.

"Show off….." Shifu muttered. Aurora only smirked.

It took a while for everyone's wounds to heal. Shifu insisted that Aurora reserve her magic and let the palace healers do their work. By the end of the week, everyone had healed to the point where the wounds were minor. By then, everyone had also gotten used to Siren's wings and feathers and Anuli's tail and ears. The fire and wind bending certainly took a while.

One big change stood out: Siren and Shen. It was obvious that the two of them were in love; anyone who looked at them and said otherwise was a fool. Even Ox could see it, even though he was strongly against it. Wolf and Croc tried to reason with him, to no avail. Even when Shen tried being kind to Ox, he was given the cold shoulder.

It was hard to say goodbye at the end of the week. Lily and Ling returned to their home to continue their jobs the next day. Chao and Ren left for the city of Ziben, where the Sacred Onyx Council resided. Siren went with them, just to see the city and her adoptive grandfather Zhan Shi. Ox had a heated discussion with Shifu and Siren about whether Shen would return to Gongmen City or stay at the Palace. Eventually, Shifu got Ox to agree that Shen would remain under house arrest in the palace. Satisfied, Ox, Croc, and Wolf departed.

Before leaving, Wolf took Shen aside.

"Don't worry about it." Wolf assured. "I'm sure Shifu will lessen the sentence a little so you will live a free man."

"Relax." Shen nodded. "I'll be fine. Grandmaster Shifu has been kind to me."

"Alright." Wolf bobbed his head. "Just take care of yourself. I don't want to see my best friend thrown in jail."

Shen cocked his head. "Best friend?"

"Yeah." Wolf nodded. "What, you thought we weren't friends?"

"I almost killed you in anger." Shen said, averting his gaze to the floor. "I would've thought you hate me. In fact, I'm sure everyone hates me except Siren."

"Hey, don't worry about what others think." Wolf said. "You've proven yourself. You were crushed to death and brought back to life to get another chance." He knelt down to Shen's eye level. "I'm giving you that chance; you have my forgiveness."

Shen looked up and smiled. He bowed to Wolf, who simply pulled the peacock into a hug.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Shifu walked down the halls, Oogway's staff tapping lightly against the floorboards as he wandered about the new barracks. He checked each of the rooms as he passed: Viper curled up in her coils; Mantis half hanging off his bed; Monkey snoring; Crane sleeping peacefully as he tucked his head in his wing; Tigress's tail twitching as she slept; Po mumbling in his sleep, no doubt dreaming about kicking bad guys' butts; Anuli curled in a ball with her tail swishing back and forth; Shen's elaborate tail feathers hung off his bed as he lay on his stomach, hugging something to his chest that Shifu couldn't see.

All in all, normal. Aurora was no doubt still in Shifu's room, sound asleep. But for some reason, Shifu found no rest. He felt pulled towards the Peach Tree, and so he continued to walk towards it as though in a trance. When he got to the sacred tree, he was surprised to find Junjie and Fenghuang there.

"You too?" Fenghuang asked.

"What do you mean?" Shifu asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't sleep." Junjie shrugged. "Something convinced us to come here."

"Same here." Shifu nodded. "But why?"

"What's that?" Fenghuang pointed. The boys followed her point and saw a ghostly cloud descending towards them. The three of them stood back and watched, astounded, as the cloud came a halt before them and began to take shape. Soon, the cloud solidified (sort of) into the ghostly figure of a familiar face.

"Master Oogway?"

**A/N: Ok, a little late to be asking this, but does **_**anybody **_**know how to do the little line break thing without going "**_**STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR"? **_**Remember to read and review! Love the feedback! And so much more to come. Just a heads up, did you guys know this is the longest story I've ever written? **


	36. Ch 36 Grandmaster of the Jade Palace

**Chapter Thirty Six- Grandmaster of the Jade Palace**

Instinctively, Shifu bowed to his master. Junjie followed suit, albeit uncertainly. Fenghuang eyed Oogway with disdain, but gave a little nod in greetings.

"Good evening my students." Oogway bowed to them. "It has certainly been a while. In fact, last I checked, I haven't been here since a certain fox decided to impersonate me."

Junjie looked sheepish. "Yeah. While we're still here, sorry about that."

Oogway chuckled. "I see someone's finally turned over a new leaf." The old tortoise turned to Fenghuang. "And what about you? I thought you wanted to rule the Jade Palace."

Fenghuang shrugged. "Still trying, I suppose. Just was too busy saving the Valley of Peace from lizard dictators and crazy cat ladies."

Oogway gave a full laugh at this. "Ah yes, I remember watching you all fight. You've all done well and I'm very proud of all of you."

Fenghuang and Junjie looked surprised. "Even us?" Junjie asked.

"Of course." Oogway nodded.

"Why would you be proud of us?" Fenghuang demanded. "We're disgraces to the Jade Palace. Even if we aren't anymore, why would you be proud of students that try to take over your home?"

"I believe you have all proven yourselves." Oogway explained. "Shifu was originally chosen to be my successor. But, in all honesty, it was truly a hard decision to make. I had many students through the years. You three and Chao were some of my best. Chao was meant for the Sacred Onyx Council. You three were meant for something more."

"Like what?" Shifu asked.

"For one thing, you three make up the Tri-Dragon of Death." Oogway said. "Scary name? Yes. But it is a representation of the power the three of you hold, on your own and joined together. I can remember the three of you when you were younger, always together, always there for one another. I knew from the moment I first saw it that you three were destined for something great."

"Are you going to tell us?" Fenghuang asked. "Or are you going to go all mystical and talk in riddles?"

"A stool with one leg will not stand." Oogway said. "But it will with three."

"And he chooses the riddles." Junjie groaned.

Something clicked in Shifu's head. Something he remembered Oogway saying when the red panda was locked in Aurora's dungeon.

"_A house divided cannot stand. The Furious Five cannot work together if they are constantly at each other's throats. A trio of great warriors cannot succeed without cooperation and respect for one another."_

Oogway noticed Shifu's look. "I'm guessing you understand."

"Slowing figuring it out." Shifu nodded.

"Good, explain it to me." Junjie pleaded, rubbing his head.

Shifu looked towards Oogway. "The three of us have to work together. We can't be enemies anymore."

Oogway smiled and nodded. "If all of you are willing to accept, and promise not to kill each other, I want all three of you be my successors and become Grandmasters of the Jade Palace."

Their jaws almost dropped. Thankfully, the three living warriors managed to catch themselves.

"Us?" Shifu repeated.

"All three of us?" Fenghuang clarified.

"_Grandmasters _of the Jade Palace?" Junjie finished.

Oogway nodded so casually you'd think they were talking about the weather.

"Why now?" Fenghuang said with a mix of anger and confusion in her voice. "Why are you telling us this now?"

"Because you've finally discovered your true potential." Oogway explained. "Fenghuang and Junjie, you two have proven that you're willing to change and fight _with _the Jade Palace rather than _against _it." Said fox and owl straightened a little. "If you two will truly change, then it would be an honor to have you as my successors."

Fenghuang and Junjie shared a look. Junjie was the first to step up and bow.

"It would be an honor." Junjie said. "It would also be nice to have an actual home. Not much of a traveler."

Fenghuang rolled her eyes. But she found herself staring at the ground, her eyes full of turmoil. It had been a dream of hers for years to rule the Jade Palace. But her plan was to overthrow the current master and take over for herself. Now she had the chance to be the master, but could she really work with Shifu? Junjie wasn't that annoying, but Shifu was always considered an enemy.

"Fenghuang?"

The owl's feathers puffed up a little as she turned to Shifu.

"If you want to come home," Shifu said. "I'd be willing to at least give you a chance."

Fenghuang's eyes widened a little. But her gaze softened. Then, for the first time in years, she bowed to Master Oogway.

"I'd like to come home, Master." Fenghuang said softly.

Oogway smiled. "Congratulations, Grandmasters of the Jade Palace." The ghostly tortoise suddenly dissolved in a white cloud and blew away in the wind, leaving the Grandmasters to themselves. The three of them started back towards the barracks.

"Grandmaster Junjie." Junjie grinned. "Member of the Tri-Dragon of Death and protector of the Valley of Peace. I like the sound of that."

"Don't get cocky." Fenghuang scoffed. "You forget that there are two other Grandmasters and two other members of the Tri-Dragon of Death."

"And we will beat your tail if necessary." Shifu added.

Junjie scoffed. "Whatever."

"Well, this'll be an interesting surprise for everyone tomorrow." Fenghuang noted.

"I think we've had enough surprises to last a month." Junjie sighed.

"Absolutely." Shifu nodded. "I feel like I need a three-year nap."

"I'm with you on that one." Junjie laughed.

Fenghuang smiled. "Well what do you know?"

"What?" Shifu asked.

"We finally agreed on something." Fenghuang sighed, ruffling the fur on Shifu and Junjie's heads. "Race ya to the barracks!" She flew off.

"You're so on!" Shifu laughed.

"Last one there does dishes for a week!" Junjie challenged.

The three of them laughed like children as they bounded off. Through their minds coursed memories of doing these same things when they were younger. And if someone didn't look close enough, you would've seen three children running about the palace instead of three elder Grandmasters, warriors of China.

**A/N: Almost done! A couple more things I have to add! **


	37. Ch 37 Changes and Requests

**Chapter Thirty Seven- Changes and Requests**

_THREE MONTHS LATER_

Anuli tucked her blanket under her mattress and laid her stuffed leopard doll on her pillow, thus completing her bed-making process. She did a quick tuning of her guitar and piano as she prepared for the day, dressing in red pants and a black long sleeved shirt under a snow-white vest. Her long, straight, red-streaked black hair was pulled into a ponytail that rested on the nape of her neck. She brushed out her fox tail to make it soft and a little fluffy. She took a look around her room to make sure everything was in order before joining her father in the den. She found him there, lying asleep next to the fireplace, now burned out.

The morning after Oogway's visit to the palace, Shifu gave the news to everyone about Fenghuang and Junjie joining them. The Five and Po were a little hesitant, but accepting nonetheless. Aurora added a small house for Fenghuang near the barracks. She made another house to fit both Junjie and Anuli to live in. In that same day, she managed to bring some of Anuli's things from the human world to her new home. Anuli didn't ask for much, of course; certainly not any of her technology. Aurora still brought over a lot of things from Anuli's house, such as her scrapbooks, her leopard doll (she had it since she was born), and all of the girl's instruments. Since joining the Jade Palace, Anuli could often be found playing one of her instruments in her free time. Many of the boys found themselves listening in as the fox/human hybrid played her other worldly instruments and sang, completely mystified.

It had been months since then. Now, everyone was preparing for the Moon Festival that was just tomorrow. Everyone was supposed to help get ready. Chao and Ren were coming down from the Sacred Onyx Council to join them. So when Anuli found Junjie snoring louder than a herd of stampeding elephants, she simply rolled her eyes and knelt to the fox's eye level.

"Baba…." She said in a sweet, soft voice. "Whatcha doin'?"

Junjie snorted a little, but kept his eyes shut. "Sleeping…"

"Aren't you supposed to be helping us prepare for the Moon Festival?" Anuli asked in that same, innocent tone.

"Five more minutes." Junjie grumbled.

"Ok." Anuli nodded. There was a pause, and then Anuli leaned in close to Junjie's ear. "Wake up whiskers!" she shouted.

Junjie jumped high into the air and latched himself to one of the rafters above him. A second later, he fell to the ground, Anuli laughing all the while. She laughed so hard she had to hold her aching sides.

"That was five _seconds!_" Junjie snapped.

"Five minutes, five seconds, same dif." Anuli shrugged. "Now come on!" She pulled her surrogate father along as she ran off to the kitchen, where everyone would wait for further orders.

"Shouldn't you treat a Grandmaster with more respect?" Junjie noted as they ran.

"You're my dad." Anuli giggled. "I respect you enough as it is."

Junjie muttered something in audible, but Anuli ignored him. They made it to the kitchen just as Po was finishing breakfast. Aurora also had to expand the kitchen a bit in order to make room for everyone. Shifu, Fenghuang, and Junjie sat at the head of the table.

"Now, we still have a bit to do today." Shifu announced.

"What more can be done?" Siren yawned.

"For one thing," Fenghuang noted as she ate. "I know a certain raven/human hybrid that needs to clean her room before her parents and grandfather arrive."

"When did you become my mother?" Siren grumbled. She had the urge to stretch her wings, but she remembered the last time she did that in the kitchen, and Siren knew Po didn't want another face full of hot soup. She reached up to scratch her feathered head. It had taken her almost a month to get use to brushing feathers instead of hair, but it had become manageable. She even figured out how to pull her feathers, which were half the length of Shen's tail feathers, into a ponytail at the nape of her neck.

Ignoring Siren's comment, Shifu continued. "Po, your father needs help baking the moon cakes again this year."

"And this time, make sure Scorpion doesn't poison us again." Monkey said.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Po scoffed. "I could use a little help, anyone want to come?"

"And bake moon cakes?" Mantis raised an eyebrow.

"It'll make it go a lot faster." Po chuckled uncertainly.

"I'll come." Siren offered. "I need some air."

"I'll come, too." Anuli agreed. "And so will Baba."

"What?" Junjie almost spit out his food. "I can't cook!"

"You can now." Anuli said. She wiped her mouth and hopped up from the table. "Come on!" She dragged Junjie with her as she followed Po. Siren raced after them before Fenghuang could remind her about her room.

"At least that's taken care of." Shifu chuckled. "Monkey, Crane, and Mantis, there's a package that needs to be picked up from the edge of town."

"Why can't they bring it here?" Mantis asked.

"The cart's too big." Fenghuang explained. "They don't have anything smaller and they can't spare anyone because they want to get their rounds done in time for the festival."

"Just go to the edge of the village and find them." Shifu instructed. "They'll have the package and you can bring it right here."

"Yes Master." The three of them bowed.

"Be careful with it!" Shifu called as they ran off. "There's _very _delicate china in that box!"

"Thirty Yuan says they break it all." Fenghuang smirked.

"Fifty says the china is intact but the three of them are out of breath and a total mess." Shifu countered.

"You're on." Fenghuang accepted.

"I didn't know you two gambled." Aurora said.

"Only on the most trivial matters." Shifu answered in a masterful tone.

Fenghuang rolled her eyes. "Right…" She picked up her bowl and downed the last of its contents before rising. "I suppose I'll go meet Chao and Ren now. I'll see you all back up here. Ta!" Shifu's eyes widened towards the owl.

"Not out the-!"

_CRASH!_

"-window."

Aurora laughed. "Shall I fix it again?"

"No." Shifu groaned. "I'll have Fenghuang do it when she gets back." Aurora raised an eyebrow. "Fine, go ahead."

Aurora smiled and snapped her fingers. The broken wood floated into the air and stuck together; in a matter of seconds, the window was whole again.

"Show off….." Shifu muttered.

Aurora only laughed and kissed his cheek. "Well, I'm off to go grocery shopping. We're having dinner as a _family _tonight." She looked to Shifu when she said "family" as she walked out. Lately, Aurora had been complaining that the members of the Jade Palace never ate together often enough. True, they always ate breakfast together before going off to their normal activities. But lunch and dinner breaks were taken whenever they were hungry.

Shifu sipped his tea calmly. When he looked around the table, he noticed that everyone had left except for Shen, who sat at the other end of the table. The peacock was in robes just like his silver ones, but these were emerald green with gold trim and made of cotton. The former prince, now considered "Master" rather than "Lord", stared at his empty bowl. Shifu knew from experience that Shen's bowl had most likely been empty for who knows how long. But Shen was waiting for orders; permission to move even an inch. At first, Shifu commended Shen for the peacock's sincere desire to change; but it was getting out of hand. At one time, Shifu respected Shen as a prince. Though Shen gave up his lordship, Shifu still respected him for many reasons besides that. No matter what Shifu did, he couldn't get Shen to see that.

"Shen." Shifu spoke. The peacock didn't answer; just continued to stare in his bowl. At least, that's what it looked like to Shifu. "Shen?" Still no answer. Shifu had seen Shen like this a lot recently. Staring at something he held in his wing but wouldn't let anyone see. Shifu carefully snuck over, being as silent as possible to not startle Shen. That and the Grandmaster was curious as to what exactly Shen was hiding. Shifu never liked it when secrets were kept in the palace. Shifu practically held his breath as he approached Shen, looking down at the object in the bird's "fingers". When he saw it, his eyes widened.

It was a necklace. The silver chain was small but looked strong. Encased in silver, heart-shaped mold was a beautiful jewel that was a deep violet color. Shifu couldn't help but stare as Shen rubbed the jewel with his "thumb".

"Shen."

The peacock jumped and hid the necklace as he turned to Shifu. He bowed low to the Grandmaster. "Yes, Master Shifu?"

"Where did you get that?" Shifu asked.

"Get what?" Shen asked. Shifu raised an eyebrow. Shen sighed and pulled out the necklace. "I got it the last time I was in the marketplace. It's a gift."

"It's very nice." Shifu nodded. "Is this an amethyst?"

"No, a sapphire." Shen explained. "When outside, it's blue; when inside, it's purple."

"Interesting." Shifu nodded. "Who's it for?"

Shen stared at the ground. He held the neck close before tucking it away. "No one…"

Shifu sighed. "Shen, walk with me." The peacock immediately obeyed and followed the red panda out the door. He stayed at least three steps behind Shifu until the Grandmaster ordered Shen to walk beside him.

"Shen, I want you tell me the truth." Shifu explained calmly as they approached the Peach Tree. "I won't panic or freak out if that's what you're worried about."

"It wouldn't be proper." Shen replied, staring at the ground.

"Shen, sit down and tell me." Shifu told him. The two of them sat down beneath the sacred tree.

"Even if I told you, it's not like it can happen." Shen said.

"You're avoiding the question." Shifu snapped, a hint of impatience in his voice. Shen said nothing. "Very well."

Shen looked up, but Shifu wasn't there. He looked all around and found the red panda standing behind him, next to the cliff edge. The sapphire necklace was in his land, dangling in the open air.

"What are you doing?" Shen demanded, his eyes wide.

"If you don't tell me what's going on, I'll drop it." Shifu threatened.

"You're bluffing." Shen narrowed his eyes.

"Try me." Shifu challenged. He let some of the chain slip from his fingers. Shen lunged, but Shifu held him back with the crook of Oogway's staff. Shen glared, but gave up.

"It's for Siren." Shen admitted.

"I thought so." Shifu nodded. "Now, why are you giving it to her?"

Shen looked hesitant, but Shifu let a little more chain out. "I had a request of her! I wanted to….." He mumbled something inaudible.

"What?" Shifu asked.

Shen sighed in defeat. "I wanted to marry her."

Shifu froze, giving Shen time to glide out, snatch the necklace, and glide back to solid ground. Shifu was still staring at him.

"Marry her?" Shifu repeated.

"Yes." Shen huffed. "I know; it's silly. I'm a prisoner; a criminal. She'd never marry someone like me. Besides, neither you nor her parents would allow me."

Shen jumped when Shifu started laughing. "Shen, are you serious?"

"_What _is so funny?" Shen demanded.

"Shen, you haven't proposed to Siren because you think you're a bad person?" Shifu chuckled. He saw Shen's serious face. "Shen, you're not a criminal. You've proven yourself when you helped us defeat Mei. Not only did you fight for us, you saved most of our lives. True, you had a criminal past; but you left that behind. If you ask me, getting crushed to death by a smoldering hunk of metal seems like a worthy punishment."

"But what about my house arrest?" Shen asked.

Shifu looked around, like someone was listening. "Between you and me, that house arrest was just to get Ox off my back."

Shen laughed at this. "So, you hold no ill will towards me?"

"Of course not, Shen." Shifu smiled.

"Then, do I have your permission to marry Siren?"

"I think you need to worry more about whether Chao will accept or not."

Shen nodded, smiling. "I have one last request."

"And what's that?" Shifu asked.

"Traditionally, the parents of the bride and groom must sign an official document to legalize the wedding." Shen explained. "My parents have been dead for years. In knowing that," Shen bowed to Shifu. "Would you do me the honor in signing for my family?"

Shifu stared at him. "Why me?"

"I want to make this as official as possible." Shen explained. "Completely legal to keep Ox off _my _back. But without my parents signature I can't. Another person from my family can sign for them, but there's no one to do so. I would be deeply honored if you would sign in their place." Shen's head dipped lower to the ground.

Shifu stared for a moment, but smiled. He bowed back to Shen. "Very well. But you have to do me a favor."

"What's that?" Shen asked as he straightened.

"Stop bowing so deeply to me." Shifu said. "I'm a master of students, not slaves. You are a student to me. So bow to me as the Five and Po do, but only when the situation calls for it."

"Yes Master." Shen nodded, resisting another urge to bow.

"Good." Shifu nodded. "If you find a way to convince Chao, then you must be a lucky man." Shen smiled and nodded before walking off. The former prince couldn't stop smiling all the way down. But he had one more thing to do before even asking Siren's parents for permission to marry their daughter.

_STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR_

Chao, Ren, and Zhan Shi arrived around noon, escorted by Fenghuang and Siren when the raven/human girl saw them pass the noodle shop. Shifu met them at the top of the steps, smiling when he saw Chao laughing along with his family at a recently told story. It had been years since Shifu had seen Chao laugh like that. From the moment Ren had left for the human world, the desert monitor had always been stoic and solemn. Very rarely could you get him to even smile. Siren could only lessen the pain. Obviously, having his family whole again had greatly improved Chao's emotional health. Zhan Shi had the energy of a young boy, despite his graying muzzle and wrinkles. His solid black pants could be seen now and then as the bottom of his deep blue silk robe swished. Ren was in a long-sleeved, ruby red cheongsam.

"Grandmaster Shifu." Ren bowed graciously. "Thank you for inviting us to your humble palace."

"Humble?" Siren scoffed.

"Hush now." Chao scolded gently.

Shifu only chuckled. "I'm glad you all could make it. Especially you, Master Zhan Shi."

"No need for formalities." Zhan Shi bowed. "It's been a long time since I've been here, and I'm happy to come as a friend."

"Well, our Dragon Warrior should have dinner ready." Fenghuang noted. "Hope you're all hungry."

"Starving!" Siren laughed. She suddenly jumped and flew off to the dining room. "Race you there!"

"You don't get a head start!" Fenghuang called as she flew after her.

"Ai-ya." Ren shook her head. "Such a child."

"The owl or your pup?" Zhan Shi laughed.

"Both." Shifu groaned as he led them to where the girls had flown.

Dinner was full of laughter and good food. Aurora had set up the dining room usually reserved for the Winter Feast, in order to suffice the need for more room. Anuli and Zhan Shi had a long discussion about Anuli's fire bending skills. Fenghuang, Ren, Siren, and Viper talked about all the shopping they wanted to do; and their desire to drag Tigress along. Monkey, Crane, and Mantis arrived halfway through dinner with the package. The china didn't have so much as a crack on it, but the boys were a mess: fur/feathers ruffled, scorch marks, a monkey with a black eye, feathers missing from the top of a bird's head, a bug with sesame seeds glued to him with honey, etc. Shifu sent the boys to clean up while Fenghuang grudgingly pushed a bag of fifty Yuan in the red panda's direction.

When dinner was over and bedtime was declared, Shen held back.

"I would like to speak to the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior alone, please." Shen requested. Shifu noticed Shen fingering with the necklace in his sleeve pocket. He nodded and left, the others following. The Five and Po remained at their seats, waiting patiently until everyone was gone and Shen was ready to talk.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Po asked. He was the first to be truly accepting of the peacock, much to the surprise of the Five. Tigress especially couldn't fully shake the fact that the bird before them almost killed their friend….four times.

"I have something I want to do." Shen started, trying to swallow his nervousness. "A request I want to make." He pulled out the sapphire necklace to show the others, placing it gently on the table. Everyone stared at the beautiful pendent in wonder. "I want to ask Siren to marry me."

The Five and Po stared at Shen. Tigress was the first to look away, her eyes darting as her thoughts raced.

"That sounds…..nice…." Crane chuckled nervously.

"Yeah." Mantis nodded uncertainly.

"Um…." Viper cleared her throat. "What did she say?"

"I haven't asked her yet." Shen admitted. "I understand you all care about Siren. I do too. I want to care for her in the best way I can. I've never loved someone like I do her. My problem is I can't marry her until I know you all trust me."

"Why do you need us to trust you?" Monkey asked.

"You're her friends." Shen explained. "If the residents of this palace are considered a family, I want to know that I'm accepted into your family. It makes things a little awkward if I was to marry her and none of her friends liked me."

Po and the Five (minus Tigress) exchanged looks. Po smiled. "Shen, you have my ok."

"Really?" Shen asked incredulously.

"Yeah!" Po laughed. He gave Shen a good-hearted slap on the back. "Having you officially a part of the Jade Palace family makes things less awkward. You have my forgiveness and my trust."

"Ours too." Viper nodded. "You can't be so hard on yourself."

"You're a changed man; you've proven it to us all." Mantis agreed.

"Shifu says you saved his, Siren's, and many others' lives." Crane noted. "If that's not proof, I don't know what is."

"Good luck getting past Master Chao." Monkey laughed. "You'll need his permission too."

Shen nodded, thanking them. He looked towards Tigress. "Master Tigress? Is there anything I can do to convince you?"

Tigress looked over at Shen, her fiery orbs boring into Shen's red ones. She calmly stood up and walked over to the group.

"Tigress….." Po tried to say, but Tigress held up a paw to stop him. She knelt down to be at Shen's eye level. Shen stared expectantly. He waited for her refusal.

Instead, he received a punch to the face.

"Tigress!" Viper cried as Shen went flying, hitting a pillar.

"Now you have my approval." Tigress smiled. "Welcome to the family."

Shen rubbed his sore beak. "Gee, thanks."


	38. Ch 38 Moon Festival

**Chapter Thirty Eight- Moon Festival**

"Po! Get back here!"

"No way! You're gonna kill me!"

"Because you plucked some of my feathers out!"

"I didn't mean to!"

"Just hold still so I can drop you off the top of this mountain!"

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Shifu and Chao glanced at the door as Po ran by, Siren right behind him. Shifu could've sworn he noticed a few primary feathers missing from one of Siren's wings.

"Hi Master Shifu and Master Chao!" Po called hurriedly.

"Hey Daddy!" Siren called.

Chao rolled his eyes. "Kids."

"Try living with them 24/7." Shifu groaned.

"What are you two doing?" Ren demanded as she and the rest of the girls showed up.

"Drinking tea." Chao said, holding up his cup. "Care to join us?"

"No." Aurora shook her head. "You guys said you'd come help us make the dragon costume for the festival."

"We'll catch up in a few minutes." Shifu said dismissively.

"No, you two will sit here all day and drink tea." Ren said. "Now come with us or we'll drag you with us."

"You get a head start and we'll be there in a bit." Chao assured.

"Not a chance." Ren suddenly grabbed Chao's hand and pulled him along as she walked out, ignoring his complaints.

"Sucker." Shifu laughed under his breath. He soon found himself in the same position when Aurora dragged him along as well.

"I've never seen someone treat Master Shifu like that." Viper laughed.

"Not without being beaten to death afterwards." Tigress added.

"Get used to it." Fenghuang chuckled.

Outside, Po and Siren had their little scuffle before returning to work on the dragon costume. Anuli, Junjie, Monkey, Mantis, and Crane were helping. Po had suggested making the dragon breathe real fire, but it ended badly when a third of the dragon was burned. Anuli had to absorb the fire before it could spread and ordered Po to repaint the burned parts after it was rebuilt.

Po suddenly jumped when the section he was painting moved. "AH! The dragon's alive!" He ran off screaming like a girl. Anuli rolled her eyes when she heard laughter and lifted the dragon to find Junjie on the verge of hysterics.

"Must you do that?" Anuli sighed.

"Laugh a little." Junjie scoffed. "It's good for you."

"Now I see why you need our help." Shifu sighed as he walked up. Chao and the girls were right behind him and got to work. The dragon was finished in about an hour, leaving just enough time for everyone to clean up and head down to the festival. Shifu dismissed everyone to do as they pleased, and there was an immediate reaction. Mantis, Monkey, and Crane followed Po to Mr. Ping's with the talk about "how many moon cakes can Po stuff in his mouth?" Fenghuang and Viper dragged Tigress along for shopping. Ren and Aurora started wandering around, staring at everything in wonder; neither of them had been to a Moon Festival in ages. Shifu and Chao followed them through the crowd, leaving Anuli, Junjie, Siren, and Shen alone.

"So, what should we do?" Anuli asked. "The Moon Festival in the modern world is nothing like this."

"Burn incense?" Siren suggested. "It would be respectful."

"I'd like to look around a little." Shen said. "Try a little of everything."

"Then let's just walk." Junjie shrugged. He started off in one direction and the others had no choice but to follow.

It was a lot of wandering that evening. They burned incense at a shrine for the goddess Chang'e (Shen coughed pretty badly and they had to leave quickly); ate moon cakes (Junjie must've stuffed three in his mouth at once when no one looked); did some shopping (Anuli found a beautiful necklace with a moon rabbit charm on it); lit lanterns and hung them on trees (Siren almost burned herself); the highlight of the evening was when the four of them went to watch the dancing. Musicians played in the town square as couples danced the night away. During a slow song, Siren noticed four familiar figures on the dance floor. She, Shen, Junjie, and Anuli were amazed when they saw Chao, Ren, Shifu, and Aurora dancing. Chao and Ren were both smiling, fondly remembering their first dance as teenagers. Shifu looked a little nervous as Aurora guided him through the dance, but he was happy nonetheless.

Siren sighed as she watched. "Isn't it just romantic?"

"Indeed." Shen nodded, smiling. Junjie and Anuli, however, had their heads rested in their hands and propped up with their elbows.

"Ew." Anuli groaned.

"No kidding." Junjie agreed. He made a face.

"You two wouldn't know romance if it bit you in the tails." Shen scoffed.

"I don't want _anything _to bite my tail." Junjie said.

"Me neither." Anuli nodded.

Siren rolled her eyes. "I'm going to find Mr. Ping and get another moon cake."

"I'll come too." Anuli offered. "I can't stand anymore of this love fest." The girls walked off, talking and laughing. Shen watched them go until they disappeared around a corner. He looked back at Shifu and Aurora, noting how the red pandas looked at each other lovingly. It was not unusual to Shen; he sometimes caught himself staring at Siren that way. His eyes traveled to Chao and Ren. Shen felt like his stomach was doing flips and spins.

"Something wrong?" Junjie asked.

"Nothing." Shen lied. "Just…..thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing."

"Shen, don't lie to me."

Shen glanced at Junjie and saw the fox's serious face. "You'll find out soon enough." Shen assured. Junjie eyed him skeptically, but didn't push it.

It was pretty late at night when a group of Jade Palace members gathered at Mr. Ping's shop for tea. The only people there were Po, Shifu, Chao, Ren, Junjie, Shen, and of course Mr. Ping. Everyone else had returned to the Jade Palace to sleep after an exhausting evening.

As Mr. Ping came out with a tray of tea and cups, Shifu noticed Shen fingering the sapphire necklace again and the peacock's eyes shifting constantly between the necklace and Siren's parents. Shifu leaned in close.

"Would you ask them already?" Shifu whispered. "_Before _you have a nervous breakdown?"

"What am I supposed to say?" Shen whispered back.

"Just ask them for permission to marry their daughter." Shifu shrugged. "It's simple."

"Easy for you to say!" Shen snapped.

"What are you guys doing?" Po asked.

"Nothing." Shifu said as he straightened up. "It's just that…Shen has something to say."

Shen almost choked on his tea. "What?"

"To Ren and Chao specifically." Shifu added.

Shen would've told him to shut up, but now Ren and Chao were staring at the peacock.

"Something you need to tell us?" Ren asked kindly.

"Um….." Shen cleared his throat. "Yes."

"Alright then, let's hear it." Chao urged.

"Yes." Shen said again. "Well, it's just that…..I…um…"

"Spit it out Shen or I swear to the gods in Heaven I'll murder you." Shifu said in his most threatening yet casual tone.

Shen gulped down his fear. "Master Chao and Master Ren, I humbly request your permission to marry your daughter, Siren Jin."

There was a mix of reactions. Po was calm (having already known Shen's intentions), Chao's eyes widened and his jaw almost dropped, Ren was frozen stiff, Mr. Ping dropped the teapot, and Junjie spewed his mouthful of tea. The spray of hot tea hit the person next to him; unfortunately, that person was Shifu. Junjie chuckled nervously as Shifu glared at him murderously, his whiskers dripping with tea.

"You…..want to marry Siren?" Ren repeated.

"Yes." Shen nodded. "I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy and keep her safe. I can—"

Ren held up a hand. "Shen, I'm sure you'll make a wonderful husband. I've known you long enough to know that. You have my consent."

Shen breathed a small sigh of relief and bowed. Chao, however, rose from his seat and calmly walked out to the street, his hands placed masterfully behind his back.

Ren sighed. "I'll talk to him. You know how fathers can be." She rushed off after her husband. But Shen was already moping, banging his head on the table.


	39. Ch 39 The Decisions

**A/N: I would like to apologize profusely in as many languages as I know and then some. I didn't update for a long time. I hope this final chapter isn't too rushed. But now that I've finished, I'll be focusing on new projects in new subjects. Right now, I'm writing stories for **_**The Smurfs. **_**I'll write more **_**Kung Fu Panda **_**stuff, but I have inspiration that must be satisfied!**

**Thank you all for sticking with me and this story for so long. It's my longest fanfiction and so far one of my favorites. It really shows how much I've grown since my first fanfiction story. I hope you guys can check out my **_**Smurfs **_**stories! I highly recommend the movie. **

**Thank you all again. You guys really lifted my spirits and gave me advice that greatly improved my stories. I can't express my feelings enough. **

**And now, on with the show!**

**Chapter Thirty Nine- The Decision**

The next day, Chao didn't talk to anyone; he acted like Shen didn't exist. The former prince sulked all day, no matter what everyone did to cheer him up.

"Don't you think you were a little hard on him?" Ren asked during her and Chao's sparring.

"I didn't say anything at all." Chao reminded her, swinging his jian towards her head.

"That's the problem!" Ren snapped as she parried his blows.

"I was simply unprepared for his question." Chao explained. "And I didn't have a solid answer at the time."

Ren stopped her attacks. She stuck her sword point into the ground and leaned on the handle. "So now that you've had a day to think about it, what's your answer?"

Chao sheathed his jian. "I think I need another day."

"Another day?" Ren scoffed. "Or another year?" Chao didn't answer. Ren sighed. "I know how hard this feels. A father that cares this much surely doesn't want to let go of his baby girl. But Siren is a young woman now. Shen loves her. You know that like I do. Besides, I married you when I was about her age."

Chao had to agree. "I just want to be sure that she's taken care of; provided for."

"You've spent some time with Shen." Ren reminded him. "You know he helped you come home. He saved many lives. What more do you want?"

"I want my daughter to stay safe." Chao sighed. "And never get married."

Ren rolled her eyes. "Shen _will _protect Siren; with his life. He'll be a great husband." She took Chao's hand in hers and smiled. "Just like you."

Chao smiled a little, but straightened up. "I'll be the judge of that."

Ren giggled a little. "Can you at least _talk _to Shen? Man to man? Or, in this case, lizard to peacock?"

Chao had to laugh at that. "Very well." He put his hands masterfully behind his back and walked off.

"Chao."

"Yes?"

"Leave the sword here."

"Fine…."

* * *

><p>"I'm an idiot."<p>

"No you're not."

"I'm an idiot."

"_No _you're _not._"

"I'm an idiot."

"_No you're not!"_

Shen sighed. "I never should've even _thought _about asking her to marry me."

"Shen, enough!" Po shouted. "So maybe her dad didn't answer yet. That doesn't mean he refused!"

"He didn't say 'yes' either." Shen groaned. Po opened his mouth to speak, but he found that fact hard to argue with.

"Look, you can either mope about it all day, or you can do something about it." Po suggested. "Ever thought about eloping?"

Shen glared at Po. "What in the good name of heaven makes you think that's a good idea?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Po shrugged

Shen rolled his eyes. "I have two words for you: Master Ox."

Po almost hit himself. "Oh yeah. Then again, I thought you'd be more worried about Master Chao."

"What about Master Chao?"

Po and Shen spun around to see Chao. They instinctively stood and bowed in respect.

"Shen, I'd like to speak to you." Chao said. "Come with me."

"Yes Master Chao." Shen nodded. Po gave an encouraging smile and a thumbs-up. Shen smiled weakly and followed Chao outside.

"I'm sure you expected this." Chao guessed. "The whole talk between the father and the future husband."

"I did." Shen nodded. "And I apologize if I offended you yesterday."

"You didn't offend me." Chao assured. "You just caught me off guard."

"I see." Shen nodded.

"I feel I must be honest with you, Shen." Chao continued. "I believe you are a very suitable husband. Even if you do not hold your title of "Lord Shen", you still hold qualities that I find acceptable. I have only one question." At this, Chao stopped walking. Shen looked up expectantly. Chao looked Shen in the eyes. "_Why _do you want to marry Siren?"

Shen looked down for a moment and then sighed. "I'm going to skip the part where I say that I've never met anyone like her and she's a beautiful and kind person. Obviously, you already know that. The reason I want to marry her is because….she's different."

Chao didn't say anything; he stared at Shen with a somewhat quizzical look.

"People look at me like I'm a walking bad omen ready to curse them." Shen continued. "Ever since I was born, everyone treated me differently. They look at my parents with sympathy because of me. And then I went through the experience with those weapons and died because of it. Then the whole adventure in the human world and I met your daughter. I honestly have no idea why Oogway would lead me on a path that led to a female; all the women in Gongmen were horrified at the sight of me. But not Siren; she never gave me a sympathetic look or shy away at my presence. If anything, she looked upon me with kindness. She treated me with respect, but also like an annoying little brother. And that's when I knew she'd always treat me like a person; she's very wise, and a skillful user of the proverb, 'Don't judge a book by its cover'. She treats me differently, but in a good way." Shen sighed. "I need this second chance at life, and I want to share it with her."

Chao nodded in thought. "Well, there's only one thing to take care of."

"What's that?" Shen asked.

"Do you have a ring?"

"I have this." Shen pulled out the sapphire necklace.

"Good." Chao nodded. "Just don't stutter and you'll be fine." He jerked his head up the path, where the Sacred Peach Tree stood just ahead. Shen gave Chao a quizzical look before walking up towards the ancient tree. But when he noticed another being there, he almost fell backwards in shock.

"Chao….." he grumbled.

Chao smiled to himself as he walked back towards the palace. Moments later, he heard a squeal of happiness behind him and the familiar "Oof!" of someone being tackled to the ground. His smile grew wider. "Poor Shen." He chuckled.

* * *

><p>"Shen, get your feathered tail out here this instant!"<p>

"Not in this lifetime or the next!"

"Shen, for the love of the gods, relax!"

"I think I'm hyperventilating!"

"You're not hyperventilating. You're being a wimp."

"Shut up!"

Junjie rolled his eyes. "And I thought _Chao _was nervous when he got married." He muttered.

"He's still in there?" Fenghuang asked incredulously. Her usual purple robes were replaced with beautiful sky blue ones.

"Yep." Junjie groaned. "I've tried all my threats, but frankly, I'm a little scared of those claws and knives."

"Birds don't have claws." Fenghuang corrected. "We have talons." She knocked on Shen's door. "Shen, Siren's not going to wait forever!"

"I know." Shen groaned. "I'm just nervous. Anything could go wrong today."

"I'll make a deal with you." Fenghuang said. "Or rather, a gamble. Twenty Yuan says everything goes smoothly."

Shen's door opened and the peacock's head poked out. "Thirty says at least _one _thing goes wrong."

"Done." Fenghuang held out a wing. Shen took it and shook it. He stepped out to show his wedding robes. The silvery-white robes complimented his feathers quite well; the red dragons stitched into the fabric looked majestic and strong. The black belt stood out.

"You can do this." Junjie assured. "It's a simple ceremony."

Shen took a breath. "Ok. Let's get this over with."

"Oh come on, Shen!" Fenghuang laughed as she led Shen towards the door. "It's your wedding! A happy occasion!"

Shen forced a smiled as he walked out. The palace arena was all set up for the wedding; the guests talked amongst themselves as they waited for the lucky couple.

"I hate this." Tigress growled.

"It's a wedding," Viper said. "For your sister-in-arms and one of your best friends. Be happy for her."

"No, I hate wearing this dress." Tigress groaned, glaring at the red and gold dress she wore. "It's too airy down under."

"You can take it off when the day is done." Crane promised.

"Here they come!" Lily and Ling shouted simultaneously. "Here they come!"

* * *

><p>"Now come on! This is <em>not <em>the time to lose your temper."

"I won't lose my temper."

"You can't do this."

"I most certainly can."

"No you can't! It's rude and Shifu will murder you."

"You can't deny that I'm right."

"But do you have to interrupt the wedding?"

"Yep."

(insert facepalms and deadpan looks here)

* * *

><p>Everyone took their seats as Shen arrived. He waited patiently as a sedan chair arrived with Siren sitting on it. Siren's dress looked white as the clouds and was dotted with red flowers. Chao rolled his eyes when he noticed Siren wasn't wearing the traditional veil and let her head feathers flow freely. Her wings stayed tucked close to her body.<p>

Shen took Siren's hand and they started walking. Junjie somehow managed to keep it together and not cry this time, mostly because Fenghuang threatened to slice his head off if he did. Shen and Siren approached the alter and bowed to the tablets. They bowed to Chao, Ren, and Shifu, and finally to each other. The guests clapped as the newlyweds made their way back down the aisle, hand in wing. But they stopped when they noticed three figures waiting for them at the end.

"You've _got _to be kidding me." Siren groaned.

Shen glared at Ox, Croc, and Wolf, who stood at the end of aisle. "Siren, why don't you and the guests move on to the reception, hmm? I'll take care of this."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him." Siren hissed, staring at Ox.

"Trust me." Shen assured. "Everything will be fine." Siren gave Shen's wing a squeeze before walking off. The guests hesitantly stood and followed. Shifu hung back, standing near the alter and waiting for the next move.

"I know why you're here." Shen said.

"Oh do you, now?" Ox mused.

"You want to drag me to jail." Shen snapped.

"It's his idea." Croc said, he and Wolf pointing at Ox.

"I don't care whose idea it was." Shen said venomously. "I don't care if you never forgive me for what I've done. Do you have any idea how ridiculous you're acting? It's bad enough that you want to drag me away to jail; but you had to come down here and interrupt my _wedding? _Do you have any idea how improper that is? Interrupting a _wedding! _I would expect better from kung fu masters such as you."

Ox didn't say anything. He continued to stare at Shen with an emotionless gaze.

"Let me tell you something right now." Shen continued. "I don't care if you still consider me a criminal. I am a free man. I've moved on and made a new and better life for myself. I won't let you hurt Siren like this by taking me away. If you truly want to take me to jail—" Shen pulled out a knife from his sleeve and took a stance. "—you'll have to fight me first."

Ox, Croc, and Wolf exchanged glances. They shared a mutual understanding.

"At ease, Lord Shen." Croc said. "We aren't going to drag you to jail."

"We won't drag you anywhere, actually." Wolf added.

Shen narrowed his eyes and sheathed his knife. He remained suspicious, especially since Corc referred to him as "Lord". "Then what _will _you do? Surely you didn't travel all this way to not do anything?"

"Well, Ox believes you still need to be punished." Croc nodded. "So, prepare yourself."

Shen raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, Ox's fist connected with his face, and he flew backwards. Shifu winced as Shen crashed into a bench. He rushed to the peacock's side.

"What in the name of the gods?" Shen shouted. "Why do you people love tormenting my beak? I have to eat with this you know!"

Ox laughed; a deep, hearty, good-natured laugh that made his usually hard eyes soften. He walked up and offered Shen a hoof. Shen took the offer and he was pulled to his feet.

"Congratulations on the wedding, Lord Shen." Ox said, bowing. "I wish you and your bride happiness."

Shen stared with wide eyes, and then smiled. He bowed back to Ox, and then to Croc and Wolf. "Why don't you all accompany me to the reception hall? There's plenty of food for everyone." The four of them walked off, talking like they were old friends.

Shifu smiled. He took a breath, inhaling the cool winter air. He looked up at the cloud-filled sky as snowflakes began to fall. His smile grew as he followed the four kung fu warriors to the reception hall. He looked inside and saw everyone laughing and talking. Siren looked like she was in a much better mood as she talked with Ox and Croc. Shen was in a headlock and getting his feathers ruffled from Wolf, looking like he wanted to die where he stood. Chao and Ren danced together. Junjie and Anuli talked with Fenghuang and the Five, laughing all the while.

Shifu turned to stare at the landscape, steadily getting covered in snow. Surely there would be a thick blanket of it by tomorrow morning. And Shifu was willing to bet anything there would be one heck of a snowball fight tomorrow. Shifu took one more inhale of the crisp air.

For once, everything seemed right with the world.

**THE END**


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